The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-02-27
COST OF ELECTRIC
LIGHTING CURRENT
Developed at Less Than One Cent Per
KiIOwat With Coal and Steam Engine

Since the cost OF electric current to
consumers must be regulated by the
cost OF production it will be interest
ing to know something about the cost
of production elsewhere. The day
that one can charge "all the traffic
will bear" as railroad managers once
said, is past. We are living in diff
ferent age. If the owner of an electric
lighting plant has cinch on commu-
nifty, and could charge just about what
he pleased, regardless Of the cost oil
production, do you suppose he would
be permitted to do so7 Oh, no. We
have way of regulating inequalities OF
this kind. The man or company with
cinch will be permitted to make a
reasonable profit on the cost OF pro-
duction. Nothing more. When the
Coeur de Alene citizens applied to the
public service commission of Idaho a
short time ago, claiming the rates were
too high, the company very promptly
lowered the rates from IS cents per
kilowat to 10 cents, on condition that
the protesting citizens would withdraw
their complaint.
To point moral and adorn a tale
let US relate what occurred in an east
ern state some time ago. The item
is taken from a magazine devoted to
the electrical industry. The propriety
Of lowering lighting rates in an eastern
city, considerably larger than Leaven-
worth. but not one Of the large popu-
lation centers, where current was pro-
duced by feeding coal at cost OF
$3.50 per ton into a steam boiler, was
taken up, and a careful estimate OF the
cost of production was made, taking
everything into consideration, even to
the oil used in lubricating the ma
chinery, and it was found that the cur
rent was being produced at cost OF
seventy-six one hundredths Ct cent
per kilowat. Now in this case the
company was not permitted to charge
a higher rate than 6 cents per kilowat
for the smallest quantity used.
The new Davenport hotel company
Of Spokane has entered into contract
with the Spokane Water Power Co..
10 furnish the hotel with what current
they want at three cents per kilowat.
Now the Davenport will be very
large consumer and will have a much
lower rate than private families are
paying. Our state commission has
only recently become active in this
lighting rate matter. The fact that
rates have been lowered voluntarily in
half dozen points in the state in the
past few months may be taken as evi-
dence that there is something doing
something going on. The Washington
Water Power Co. of Spokane is one OF
the first matters to be seriously taken
up by the commission. OF this we
have what amounts to positive assu-
rance, and the matter Will not stop
there. The rate was recently lowered
in Snohomish, but is not yet consid,
cred equitable and further effort will
be made to still further reduce the
rate. We have good reason to believe
the Leavenworth rate is too high and
should be reduced. The cost OF
production is out OF proportion to the
cost to consumers. We also believe
the management of the Tumwater
Light & Water Co. will make such
reasonable reduction in the rate as
will satisfy the consuming public as a
simple matter of right and justice,
not because they can be forced to do
so, but because it is wiser and
cheaper to do SO than to oppose the
yoOuaynent