The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-12-31
A Light ssh;ac+

Expert engineers nave hoan at work in
Camden and they have figured tzN the
city can operate a municipal plat for
lighting streets, stores and residences and
make a profit of over $54. 900 a yea. If
this is such a good thing for Camde1 why
not Mount Holly?
The township now pays for electric
lighting of the streets nearly, if not quite.
"a, 700 per year. The Public Service
Corporation, which operates electric light
and gas plants, is assessed at $35, 900.
This the corporation claims is more than
the property it owns is really worth and
that 1t includes gas pipes, poles, wires,
lamps, electric light station, dynamcs.
meters, gas in holder, cash in bank. In fact
everything in sight and out of sight. The
figures presented to the county board of
taxation do not reach the sum named, but
the corporation said ''let it go at that"
Take the assessed value of the plant,
which Is higher than the corporation
admits 1t is worth and it will be seen that
the street lighting pays fairly well,
without taking any account of amounts
received for house illumstion with
electricity and gas. By the return
of the Public Service Corporation
they have in the neighborhOod of 1900
gas meters and 200 electric light meters in
the town. This will give an idea of the
number of persons they are furnishing
light to. There certainly ought to be a
good profit in this business and why
should not the township take advantage
of 1t ?
There is another point that might be
worth considering in this connection. II
the township owned the gas plant we
would probably get better Illuminating
service than is now being handed out.
The gas that has been furnished the past
week or two has been of the meanest
quality, yet the meter keeps on registering
at the full rate of 81 per thousand feet.
Several evenings last week 1t was
necessary to light two burners to get the
power of one. If the township was to
operate an electric light plant we might
be able to get day current, or at least get
the lights turned on when the day is dark
and cloudy without being compelled to
wait until the almanac says it Is dark
enough to turn the current IN. The
township committee has taken up the
subject of a better water supply. Why
not look into the light question.
In connection with this subject the
Public Utilities Commission has rendered
a decision which Is important and will
nave a great effect on the price to be al
lowed for the use of gas.
The commission declared the existing
rate of 81. 10 per 1000 cubic feet of gas,
with a discount of 10 cents per 1000 cubic
feet for prompt payment, charged by the
Public Service Gas Company In the Pas
sale Division" to be unjust and unreason-
able, and handed down a decision liking
the rate in the division at 80 cents per
thousand cubic feet and requiring the
Id to put such reduced charge into
effect on and after February 1, 1913.
The decision is one of the most import
ant yet announced by the Public Utilities
Commission, involving, as 1t does, an ar
bitrary fixing of the rate. This rate max
ing power was given The board by the
legislature of 1911 after a memorable legis-
lative fight which extended three or four
years, the proposition being bitterly OPP
posed by the corporations. The decision
was based largely on conclusions as to the
valuations.
The order will be wide-reaching, tor
the board recommends that the company |
set the same reduced rate of 80 cents per
thousand cubic feet throughout all of the
other divisions of the state where now it is
exacting the rate of 81 net per thousand
cubic feet. Il is also recommended that
the schedule for cumulative discounts be
readiusted Ia accordance with the newly |
ordered rate of 80 cents.
The state board allows nothing what
ever for good will" OIL the contention
that where a particular service Is furnish
ed by only one company within a given
area, competition being absent, good will
does not exist.
The State Commission says that the
price fixed, 80 cents per thousand cubic
feet. will afford a return of approximately
8 per cent. on the value of the property as
found by the board, and 1t will not allow
the public to be charged exorbitant rates
merely to fill the Golfers of the corpora
ton.
In giving us 80 cent gas, the Public
Utility Commission ought not to make the
order too realistic. 1t is not exactly 80
cent gas that is needed. That price sounds
good, but a supply of the illuminaDt
which is really 80 per cent, better gas
would sound much better, and would be
a heap more satisfactory than what we
have been receiving and paying for. The
Public Utility Commission has said the
reduced price might prevail in all parts of
the state, but that, in order to get the
matter properly started, application
should be made to the Commission to
have the price reduced. 1t would not be
a bad plan for the township committee to
present a claim for this township.
The Bell Telephone Company, realizing
that it Is going to have trouble in getting
into some places without having overhead
wires, is said to be seeking permission
from the Public Service Company to
string wires along its poles on the princi-
pal streets. An agent of the Bell COM
pany has been taking observations along
High street with that view evidently in
mind. The township committee should
put a check on this idea by requesting the
| Public Service Company to use its poles
for the purpose it was granted a franchise,
which appears to be %stringing wires for
lighting the streets. 1t has already
allowed some courtesies to another
company for which it has received ample
return, but the matter ought to stop there.
We have a sufficient number of overhead
wires already.