Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-04-11
FRIDAY. APR. H.. 1913.
PUBLIC NOT so EASILY FOOLED.

ITO doubt the public will regard the eleventh-hour
IN offer OF the Wilmington and Philadelphia Trac-
tion Company TO reduce It's rates for electric current
a clumsy effort to supply to the Board of Directors
Of the and Sewer Department excuse TO deny
the application Of the Peoples Light Heat and Power
Company for franchise operate in the local field.
do think that anyone will be fooled by the let
ter which Directors of the Street and Sew
or Department to the Wilmington and Philade-
phla Traction Company yesterday suggesting reduc-
tons or the letter which the Wilmington and Philade
phia Traction Company wrote TO the Board Of Drec-
tors of the Street and Sewer Department making such
prompt and favorable response 20 the boards sugges
ton. Our opinion IS that the public will come 10
that both the letter and the reply were
part OF cut-and-dred plan TO strengthen the position
OF the Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction Com
pany in It's fight in behalf OF unreguated monopoly
and against the competition that Is offered by the
Peoples Light,-Heat and Power Company. Nor do
we think the public will be wrong in reaching that
conclusion. The time that interviewed between the
sending OF by the board and the receipt Of
the answer from the existing lighting company
brief one would be warranted in taking the view
that the OF the Wilmington and Philadelphia
Traction Company written before the letter of the
Board of Directors OF the Street and Sewer Depart
ment was framed or at least that the letter and the
reply framed simultaneously and held in reserve
for at what might be regarded the psychology
cal moment
Our advice to the Board of Directors Of the Street
and Sewer Department and the officials OF tho VIII
mington> aud Philadelphia Traction Company is not
10 sry any more tricks like that the people OF the
city of Wilmington. They not fools nor do they
wish to be regarded such, even by the Board Of
Directors Of the Street and Sewer Department and
the who control the destinos OF the Wilmington
and Philadelphia Traction Company. wilmngtonians
are fully aware that the Board OF Directors of the
street and Sewer Department would like to turn
down the franchise application Of the Peoples Light
Heat and Power Company and that the only thing that
halts then in taking stand In favor of unregLlated
monopoly and against competition is whether the
taxpayers and voters, who already have been
driven to the verge of revolt by the unblushng
display OF legislative, official and political subser-
viency to certain public service corporations,
will stand for the glorhcaton and perpetuation Of
unroguatod monopoly and the assassination OF COM
petition by any department of our city government
The taxpayers and voters Of the city Of Wilmington
have come TO the conclusion that IL the public ser
vice monopoly Will not accept regulation IL must ac-
cept competition They have not forgotten that It
was this same Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction
Company that deprived the people of Wilmington OF
the benefit of strip tickets. They have not forgotten
that II was this Wilmington and Philade phia
Traction Company that refused to accept the rogu-
ations and the orders Of the Public Utilities Commits
sion. Nor have they forgotten that it this same
Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction Company and
Its allies who bound the Public Utilities Commission
handand-foot and worked the deal whereby
lohby-ridden State Senate killed their measure for
relief and LETT them bound, hand and loot, for two
years to 1t is useless at this juncure for the
Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction Company Ia
seek reconcile indignant public to those things
by Haunting in their faces a cut-and-dried letter Of
.erng to reduce rates sliding scale II the people
will accept such bride. forget their past wrongs
stand idly by and acquesce the slaughter Of com
petition by unregulated monopoly. and that too. in
the Offices of of the important departments
OF city government
And what does the Wilmington and Philadelphia
Traction Company offer as an inducement to the PEG
pie of Wilmington to unregulated monopoly
doing competition death with the assistance Of the
Street and Sewer Department? At the present time
the maximum rate for electricity the people of vii
mngton is ten cents per kilowatt hour. It is pro
posed that beginning May / the maximum shall b
nine cents, with FIVE per cent discount cash pay
ments, rate Of approximately eight and onehal
cents, and that July 1. 1914 there shall be
further reduction to eight one-half cents. will
five per cent. of for cash, a net rate Of approx
imately eight cents
That looks very nice on the surface. but let tn,
consumers of electricity get below the surface an,
make survey before reaching conclusion in tn,
matter
In Wilmington there are perhaps 500 small con
Of electricity to each large Most OF thos
small consumers pay ten cents per kilowatt hou
for their current
Do the large pay il? Not at ALL w
know Of instances in which it sold to them as Low
two cents per kiowatt hour and that il range
upward until finally the small consumer holds III
bag" for this unregulaed monopoly that is seekin,
to perpetuste its power. with its high charges Il
the little fellow its low charges to the big fol
low by killing of the competition that is offered b.
the Peoples Light Heat Power Company Doe
the Board Of Directors of the Street and Sewer De
partment think that the thousands Of small consum
Of electricity this city desire that il shall civ
AID and comfort to en- unregulated monopoly tha