The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-04-24
CITIZENS OBJECT
TO COMPROMISE
COMMISSION HEARS RATE CASE
Committee and Companies Agree on Rate
tor Lighting, but Consumers Fail to
Concur Investigation Monday

NVHtul lHNtNllgdtlOH WOHudl
At a meeting held at the rooms of
the Commercial club last Thursday
evening between the representatives of
lhe two power and light companies,
the Hydro Electric Co. and the Pacific
Power q Light Co., an agreement was
reached in the adjustment of the rates
for lighting in the city. The rate
agreed upon, which will be less than
the contract schedule prices of the
HyirO-Electric Co, is:
First 10 kilUwatts 10 cents.
Second 10 kilowatts-S cents.
Third ID kilowatts-5 cents.
All aDove--3 cents.
The commercial rate for lighting
agreed on was: For kilowatts, 10
cents and all over, cents.
The members of the committee of
the Commercial club present were
Fl. f. Davidson, NJ. +. McCarty, c. X.
Marshall and X. +. Scott. N. c. Evans
represented the Hydro Electric Co. and
JOHN "A. Laing and }. +. Davidson the
Pacific Powe 4 Light Co. and the Hood
River Gas a Electric Co.
However, when Clyde b. Aitchison
called the representatives of the com
panles together here Monday morning,
and It was announced by Mr.. Laing,
the attorney for the Gas & Eelectric
Co., that the agreement had been
reached, Jesse Stearns and A. j. Derby
objected to the agreement. MIR. Stearns
said: we are objecting in behalf Of
some of the consumers, because we do
not believe the Commission has the
right to abolish the contracts that the
Hydro has entered into with
its consumers However, MIR. Aitchi-
son stated that the legislature had al
ready settled that question and that
no company could enter in a contract
at rate other than published in its
schedule, approved by the commission.
The statute of Wisconsin, which was
followed by the Oregon law, had in it
a clause that eliminated all contracts
that were existing at the time the law
was passed. However, this clause was
cut out of the Oregon law.
Mr.. Stearns then went on to state
that the further objection was made
that the schedule as agreed upon was
not compromise, since it was greater
than the rate asked for by the Hydro
Electric Co. "And further, " said Mr..
SteaTns, 1--WE do not believe that the
committee of the Commercial club has
the right to enter an agreement that
will be binding on the consumers of
light here in the community S. W.
Stark also interposed an objection on
behalf of clients saying that they
thought the rate was unreasonable and
that the Commercial club could not en-
ter an agreement that Would bind the
consumers.
Mr.. Aitchison,, before he called on
the representatives to present their
argument as to the reasOnableness of
the rates, stated that the Commission
would tske into consideration in decid-
ing the rates, the schedules paid by
other cities of Oregon.
Albert S. Hall, manager of the Hood
River Gas & Electric Co., was the first
witness called He testified that the
schedule agreed upon was cheaper in
several instances than the old Pacific
Power & Light CO. rate The peak
load of the company, he said, was
vestment of the company, it was ap-
proximately Sl87, 900. Forty-fve miles
of distributing lines had been extended
through the valley and II miles in the
city. MIR. Hall declared that his com
pany had lost one fourth of its patrons
in the competitive fight with the
Hydro Electric Co. and that they had
been forced to cut their rates in such
degree that total loss, net including
the rental paid the Pacific Power 4
Light Co, of $35. 600, approximately
had resulted. According to his testi-
mony no two rates paid by consumers
were alike. The competitive system
resulted in the greatest discrimination
He estimated that the gross earnings
on the investment at the proposed rate
would be about S25, 900.
Witnesses testifying in the afternoon
were: j. f. Davidson, general man
ager of the Pacific Power 4 Light Co.
M. j. Wilkinson, travelling auditor Of
the Pacific Power & Light Co. William
j. Haginah, public utilities statician
from Chicago; and N. c. Evans, presi-
dent of the Hydro Electric Co. Mr..
Evans testified that his customers had
taken a great deal more light and
power than they had contracted for
under the agreements on the fiat rate
basis, making estimatons on what the
meter service would have been. He
stated that his plant and distributing
system had cost approximately S25, 600,
while the company had $50, 600 invest
ed in real estate, this price having been
paid for the latter in stock
Mr.. Evans stated that the rate
offered in the old schedule of the Hy-
dro-Electric was less than that in the
rate agreed upon by the companies and
the committee in a way. The peak
load of the Hydro company he stated
was 2l0 horse power.
The following is the full report of
the conference of last Friday night to
the Railroad Commissions
The undersigned, being a committee
appointed by the Hood River CONNER
cial club to represent the people Of the
city of Hood River and county in the
matter Of the applications of the Hood
River Gas q Electric Company and
Hydro Electric Company for authority
to file new and increased schedules of
rates for electric service to be effective
May l, 1913. do hereby signify our ap-
proval of and acquiescence in the pro
posed schedules of rates proifered by
the Hood River Gas & Electric Com
pany with the exceptions hereinafter
mentioned, and recommend the adop-
tion of said schedules by both com
panies with the following suggested
In lieu of proposed Schedule "a"
the following:
Schedule "a"
Residential cooking and heating
rate-One meter.
Based on connected load-Fat irons,
toasters, sewing machine motors or
any electric domestic appliances not
included in connected load no load to
be considered less than one kilowatt.
First Is kilowatt hours, per klowatt
Of connected load, 10 cents.
Second - kilowatt houIs per kilo-
watt of connected load, cents.
Third Is kiIowatt hours per kilowatt
Of connected load. cents.