Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1913-04-09

measure removed by the order to be
made in this case. Later on, should
it appear that there are individual
cases of discrimination, the party or
parties suffering therefrom, will upon
complaint made, have fun hear
ing at the hands of the commission
with reference to such alleged dis
ordinations
Reasonable Rates.
The question of the reasonableness
Of rates charged to commercial and
business houses and to private resi-.
dences is, under the showing as thus
far made, the striking and important
feature of the case. The testimony
given at the hearing, coupled with
the schedules filed by the respondent
company, clearly indicate that meas
ured by any fair standard the rates
charged by the respondent company
in the town of Tonopah, are not only
excessive, but largely so. We have
searched the records of this office
in vain for any schedule Of charges
as high as those now in effect within
the town of Tonopah under similar
conditions. The present rates are
in fact so disproportionately high
that, to bring them down to what
appears to be reasonable seems like
a tremendous cut However, we are
forced to the conclusion that the
rates as set forth in the schedule an
nexed to the order in this case, will
not only yield the respondent com
pany a very substantial return upon
the value Of the property employed
in the service, but at the same time
be entirely reasonable and fair when
determined by any standard known in
the regulation of rates to be charged
by public utilities.
The schedule Of rates prescribed
by the order to be made herein is by
no means based entirely upon the
fact that It will yield to the com
pany a fair return upon the value of
the property. We have considered
II in every light and have taken into
consideration all the elements which
enter into the determination Of what
may be considered reasonable rates
We have considered the value OF the
property employed, according to oul
best intelligence, and in line with
the principles adopted by courts anc
commissions We have credited tC
the defendant a valuation that We
believe is enough to cover the entire
, property used in the performance o.
the service now under review. w
/ have allowed an ample percentage fo
, depreciation, in view Of the claimi
] and contentious that Tonopah, beinl
: mining camp, has not the sam'
{ assurance OF long life as city o
town that is located in the midst 0
Z rich agricultural section. We hav'
! not felt justified in accepting the es
+ Inmates OF some Of the witnesses tha
q the town will not last more than /
e years. As has been well stated b
T. the supreme court of the Unite
states, in the case of Wilcox agains
I the Consolidated Gas company !
G 212 U, s., such estimates can neve
; be taken at their face vaule becaus
/ of the uncertainties involved.
this case the testimony tending t
e show that Tonopah will probably b
/. a short.lived town, is not supporte
e by anything authentic in the wa
II of data; nor, do we see how II ca
y be. 1t is obvious that, as a minin
e. district, Tonopah was never In be
Al ter condition than 1t Is now. Th
e zone of values has been constant
extended and, by the simple exc
e, else of their intelligence, the mer
Is bers of this commission can NJ
IN fail to see that this extension
2 more llhtlg w NOhNihuN NA''A -
sc the proved mineral values to sh'
or off abruptly. The members of Il
a. commission, being personally fam
y lar with the conditions existing
the Tonopah district, are quite
capable of forming their own opinit
IN with regard to the probable futu
,s- of the camp, as are any OF the W
p. nesses who gave testimony at Il
of hearing. AS we view it, any tes
ed mony given in the case to the effe
as that the town has not more than Il
he years to live, is pure guess wor
at and we do not feel that we a
re- bound to accept such testimony as
nd any way conclusive. We cannot $
la any more reason for believing tn
ar the area of mineral values has reaC
of ed the limit, than we can Tor
m lieving that such area may exte
sal several miles further in various
la- rections.
be- Still upon the basis of the kno'