Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-14
LOWER ELECTRIC
RATES DELAYED
Before Deciding Whether They
Are Excessive, Utilities Board
Must Learn Its Budget.


north of the Raritan river and to the
northern border line of the State.
This would take in Newark, Jersey
City, Paterson. Plainfield. Elizabeth,
Perth Amboy, Bayonne. Hoboken and
Passaic, as we'll as all the smaller
municipalities, and it embraces prac-
tically four-fifths of the territory to
which the Public Service Electric
Company furnishes electricity. The
company owns property in this zone
valued at about 100000, according
to the report of Mr.. Belts.
1t was the general opinion of the
representatives of the different mum
icipalities present that if the cost
of a State wide investigation be too
costly for the utilities board to take
up, the Legislature be asked to APP
propriate money for the purpose.
President Robert Williams of the
board said in opening the hearing
that the board was willing to under
take the investigation but that il
would need money to conduct it.
Passaic Is Insistent.
George L. Record, of Jersey City,
speaking for Passaic, then stated
that Passaic intended to insist on
an investigation but was willing to
come in with the other municipalities
on a State wide probe.
ITO do this we will have to get
money from the Legislature, said
Mr.. Record. 1T is obvious that no
-,
den alone The thing to do is to get
together and put the matter UP to
the Legislature"
City Engineer Sherrerd and Mr..
Biertuempfel, representing Newark,
said this city recognized the need of
such an investigation, and that While
the matter had not come officially be-
fore the Board of Works as yet both
were sure Newark could be counted
on to aid in the fight for a lower cleo
trical rate.
The Company's Attitude.
Mr.. McCarter then spoke on the
company's side. He said In part:
"If it is thought necessary to in
vestigate our rates for furnishing
electricity, which are transparently
low, why the company, of course, Will
do all it can to aid such investigation.
Such an investigation would be foolish.
as the report of Inspector Belts will
show that the rates now charged are
low. If an investigation is ordered
the company must be investigated
as an entire company and not any
one section picked out for investlga-
ton"
Mr.. McCarter then referred to a de-
cision in the New York State courts
which upheld the above contention,
and said that the company would in
sist on a full and costly investigation
If one were undertaken
! Mr.. McCarter then called attention
to the fact that, although the Public
| Service Electric Company supplies 1855
| municipalities in the State, but twelve
of them were enough interested in the
| proposition to be represented at the
meeting. He said further that a full
| investigation such as the company
would demand would take two years
and be very costly to both the COM
pany and the utilities commission.
| Newark Represented.
In reply to Mr.. McCarter's criticism
| of the few municipalities represented
Mr.. Merry, of Paterson, called atten-
| ton to the fact that most of the
municipalities were small and were
content to follow the lead set by thu
larger ones. He pointed out tina
Newark, the largest city in the State
was represented and that the Other
towns with representatives presen
| contained the greater bulk of th'
population to which the company fur
nished electricity.