The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-03-06
One Feature of the High Cost Of Living

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Some three or four weeks ago, the
mayor appointed committee of three
members of the council to investigate
lighting rates, and last Tuesday evening
the committe made verbal report thru
Its chairman, Councilman Wheeler, to
the effect that the rates in Leavenworth
were about the same as in other towns
of the same size in the state OF Wash
ington, and that therefore there is no
real cause for complaint. When the
Echo began the agitation it knew this
was practically true. 1t also knew the
reason why this is true. 1t is fact,
not generally known, that there is
compact alliance between all who are
engaged in the production Of electric
current for lighting and power purposes
TO maintain q uniform rate. The rea-
son for this Is so plain that it would be
presumption of thick-witedness on the
part OF our readers to state it. Possess
ed with the idea, quite common in
these later days, that they are entitled
to make all the profit out Of their par
ticular and peculiar line of activity that
the laws will permit, accounts for the
practical uniformity in the rates, but
admitting the correctness of the report
to the council, will not convince any OF
the patrons OF the Tumwater Light and
Water Co. that the rates in this city
are not too high. A corporation as
well as an individual is entitled to make
reasonable profit. 1t is the unreason-
able and the exorbitant profit that peo-
pie object to and oppose, to prevent
which laws are passed. AT the very
root OF the whole question of profit lies
human selfishness, as old as the race OF
mankind, knawing cancer, that If not
checked will destroy, not only govern
ment, but civilization ITSELF The mani
fest truth of this was made evident in
the activity OF the Standard Oil Co.
Nearly fifty years ago small group OF
men secured a monopoly Of one of
our necessities of life. Today the
Standard Oil group ownes about one
fiftieth OF the wealth OF the United
States. To illustrate the effect OF a
monopoly on something which every
citizen must have. let US put case.
The Tumwater Light and Water Co.
aakes profit on its actual investment
Of, say A per cent. every year, which
very much more than any one else
in Leavenworth, not having a cinch,
can make. All that the Tumwater
Light and Water Co. buys, including
labor, bears reasonable percentage OF
profit, say IL per cent, in fifty years
the company would stand in about the
same relation to the city OF Leaven-
worth that the Standard Oil Co. does to
the United States.
When the people wakened up to the
effect OF monopoly on government and
civilization they demanded laws to put
a check on the selfshness of those who
secure a monopoly on that which all
the people must buy. These laws pro-
vide that railroad company and a pub
lie service corporation may fix charges
so that the net revenue will provide a
reasonable profit on the actual money
invested, but it may not fix them so
the net reveue will show profit of for
ty or fifty per cent per year, or way be-
yond what the average profit in other
lines OF activity shows.
The contention Of The Echo is, that
the rates paid by the consumers OF
electricity in Leavenworth provide a
revenue out Of all proportion to the
profit in any other business, and are
therefore too high. - 80 back up this
contention we propose next week to
print some figures, showing the cost
of the plant, cost Of operation, revenue
and profit. The figures will be some
what startling, but being authentic we