Bisbee daily review., 1913-02-28

! water company 10 ODtdlu Oulslos
loans on the stock OF the company
occupied the Corporation Commits
sion most OF yesterday morning. The
| company through the testimony ol
| some of its directors regarding in
ability TO interest outside capital on
account of investment risk in a min
| the community followed the line
that greater consideration was due
their money investment and that they
had just right to a higher rate of re
| turn.
w. II. Brophy was recalled TO the
stand and testified as TO the pTeya-
lent rates Of interest in the City OF
Blsbee from to ~ per cent. w.
c. Read, manager OF the Bisbee Na,o
Water Co, followed. He said he had
at various times attempted to borrow
money on the stock OF the company
I in Los Angeles and other places and
had been emphatically refused
Mr.. Read denied that the refusals
were due TO the fact that the com
pany had not obtained a franchise
from Bisbee. Asked whether the
company had tried to obtain a fran
chise. he admitted that it had On
several occasions but on cross exam
nation by Attorney Bullard, Mr..
Read admitted that since the first
refusal TO grant the company fran
chise, Il had not endeavored very
strenuOusly 10 obtain one.
The attorney general attempted 10
show that the reason that the CON
pany had not tried 20 get franchise
was due to the fact that il could De
considered a private business con
Germ with a right TO remove its prop
erty or abandon it at any time il de-
sired. To this. Mr.. Read failed to
give an answer.
Asked by the attorney general as
director and manager Of the company
how the water rates We're determin.
ed. Mr.. Read replied that the rates
were so fixed as 10 give a fair return
on the investment, judged from the
gross receipts. Asked II in his judg.
ment the numerous interests COntri-
lutiug to the gross revenue did so IN
equally fair proportion, Mr.. Read
said that he thought 50. although the
Phelps Dodge interests paid Is cents
per 1000 for their water, the Shat
tuck and Arizona 81. and the Warren
company 40 cents
When, with some heat, Attorney
Billiard directly put the question 10
Mr.. Read whether in his opinion il
was lust that the small consumer
should be obliged to pay all the OF
Grating expenses, depreciation in the
plant salaries and a revenue on the
investment, Mr.. Read held that il
was, which the attorney pointed out
was az variance with every 9th
er witness, including several direct
ors Of the company all having admit
ted that the rates were not equitable
and just or avoided giving a direct
answer.
The Commission then made inquir.
les into the efficiency OF the various
units comprising the plant Of he
COMPANY There appears a loss of
more than 3S.0O00OO gallons OF wat
Ter a year which seems 10 be unac-
counted for.
Mr.. Read was asked as TO the ad-
visibility OF keeping the meter box
es open so that consumers could at
all times ascertain the amount Of
water going through. In reply Mr..
Read related the impractibility OF
such a course with the present meth.
cd OF delivery in this city as the
meters were usually outside and
therefore needed some protection.
Asked why the meters could not
be placed in the dwellings he re-
piled thai this would put an extra
burden on the consumer as ii would
require extra piping. He also show
ed what he termed 20 be the imprsc-
tibility of such method by saying that
it would require that the man who
read the meters have entrance 70
every house in the city. As many
Bisbee residents either work OF sleep
during the daytime he was Of the
opinion that the residents themselves
would object 10 such a course. In
most places where meters are placed
in dwellings, they are in the cellar,
where the collector for the company
have easy access. As few houses IN
Bisbee have cellars such a course
could not be followed.
J. F. Jacqueman, superintendent
with the Water Co was then called
He also held it impractical 10 place
meters in dwellings and as long as
they must be placed on the outside
some protection was needed for
them. He said the company had
learned through experience that II
was better TO place the meters under.
lock and cover.
Mr.. Jacqueman produced several
meter clocks from his pocket which
had been entirely ruined The clock
work had been defaced in such a
manner that it proved to be an utter
impossibility 10 determine the
amount OF water used BY the consum-'
er. Even with the locking and Gov
ering OF the meters the boxes we're
often brokn into and the meter M
dicator tenuFely ruined. The Water
company had a large COLLECTION q
these he said. p, sfs
Mr.. Jacquemin was then asked 10
give an explanation Of The complaints
filed with the. commission by the
consumers last Saturday. This ne
dfd 10 the safiefacfion fOf the com