Newark post., 1914-09-23
PEOPLES COLUMN
Prices For Electric Current

will soon give this section new
source of these utilities, and as
many of the citizens have made the
electric light company present OIL
perpetual use of their roadside
rights to land, it will be interesting
to consider what the proper charge
should be for the killowatt hour OIL
service. Some, who know nothlng
about the cost of producing the
current, might think the new line
would ask nine or ten cents per
killowatt hour but study OF the
cost of production and the usual
charges in other places will show
+bat there is no reason to expect
such rate. oe
Electric power for the Post OF
fee Department in Washington can
not be very much more expensive,
nor much less expensive, than the
cost of it in Delaware. House Re
port, 1927, 61st Congress, second
session, entitled, Cost OF Manu-
facture of Ice by the Post Once
Department." says that during the
period May l, 1907 to April 30,
1908, that the killowatt hour was
estimated to cost two and eight
tenth cents. The municipal plant
in Winfield, Kansas, was able dur
ing the year ending April 1st, 1913,
to make and distribute the klllo-
watt hour unit for one and two
thirds cents. 1t costs little more
at Jacksonville, Florida, where the
cost for manufacture and distribu-
ton was two and three-fourths
cents k. W. h. The municipal
electric power plant at Pasadena,
California, serves only half the
city, has four thousand horse
power plant with the highest de-
mand for current requiring only
two thousand horse power, and
that only for two hours each even
ing. Yet it manufactures the cur
rent and distributes it at cost OF
only a fraction over two and one
fifth cents per k. W. h.
When it come to selling, the
prices are varied and interesting,
especially to people around Iron
Hill and Elkton who have made the
electric company presents. Ii the
people should be charged nine or
ten cents they may remember with
satisfaction that Elvira, Delaware,
was, at last reports, getting It's
electricity at six cents, that this SIX
cent rate, so far from being unpre-
cedented is the rate charged con-
sumers in Jasper, Indiana, Holy
oke, Mass, Marquette, Mich, Bon
neville, Groton, Marathan, and
Theresa, in the state of New York,
Blair. Menesha and Whitehall in
the state of Wisconsin. If the six
cent rate seems impossible here re-
member that citizens in Henderson
and Owensboro, Kentucky, Evart
and Marshal, Michigan, Springville
in New York, and Bingham, Utah,
and Arcadia in Wisconsin, all gel
theirs for only five cents. Out in
lola, Kansas, where the wild-eyed
political fanatics are supposed to
live, they pay only four cents
These rates just quoted are no;
rates allowed after certain
amount of current has been con.
sumed; they are primary rates. O1
course these rates are not made tc
give profit to investors but to give
light, heat and power to the peo
pie. So far does this radicalism il
favor of the people 60 that out il
Tacoma, Washington, where the
referendums grow, they give {
cooking rate of one cent per killo
wat hour, but that is a municipa
plant and there is no rakeoff from
that business, for any one; that i
for any one but the consumers VIII
get good service at low rates; ;
thing that has caused many homes
people much alarm as to the futur
of the nation.
OF course there is no limit t
what corporation charges, ex
cept how much the people vii
stand without ceasing to buy
Around here it is yet to be deter
mined but as rule municipa
plants sell at ten cents down an
private corporations sell at te
cents up, which is an illustration Q
how the established order support
morals and the state and how pull
lie ownership breaks LID The hom,