The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-28
|. 4. (. P. ASKS
STATE PROBE
OF LIGHT RATE
IN Petition to Public Utilities
Body Company Claims
Further Reductions Mean
Loss of Profit.

Alleging that the city light plant
ean not operate at profit under the
proposed cut in rates. for which 1t Pc
litioned on July 26, II Its expenses
were borne entirely by the plant ana
not partially by the city, the Light.
Heat and Power company today nlec
q petition with the public service COM
mission of the state counting an IN
vestigation of both plants 10 deter-
mine a set of fixed rates for electricity.
While the Light, Heat and Power
company does not ask an increase III
rates, it demands total revision on
lines used by scientifically based rat
ing companies. The present rates, the
petition points out, are based on klio-
wat consumption of electricity IN ooth
power and lighting divisions. 1t Is I'M
possible under the schedule for the
loompany to know whether any con-
nection is a paying investment, &C.
cording to the petition.
Mayor Robbins who was present at
the filing Of the copy of the petition
with the city clerk today, constructs
the demand for a revision to be pc.
ltition for higher rates.
| TO Flight an Increase.
1 1.-THE city of Richmond will fight
higher rates to the bitter end" he
remarked after a study Of the paper.
I'm eight months we expect to be
able to reduce the rates in addition to
the reduction we have asked the COM
mission for in the petition filed July
g."
Wilfred Jessup, president OF the
company, stated that as far as his
knowledge reached, the rates now in
force and laid out by the commission
may not be too low for a company to
return a profit but these rates are
not suitable and seem to be subject to
change by the city plant at intervals
Of every few months.
1--WE will get things settled defin-
ltely now" Mr.. Jessup says There
will be no more charges Of agreements
which are said to exist between the
complaint against power rates. We
want the rates definitely and perma-
nently fixed"
er Of the plant, points out the COM
pany's stand in the following state
ment:
Wants Review Hearing.
THE petition filed with the public
Richmond Light, Heat and Power
company asks the commission to re-
view the property earnings and opera
ton of the company and also review
the general light and power conditions
Of Richmond. including the details of
operations OF the Richmond municipal
plant, and finally arrive at fair and
equitable rate schedule for the Rich
mOnd a1c ho
ricipal plant.
"The present power schedule is not
equitable either to the consumer or to
the company, which facts, we are sure
upon investigation, will be found to be
true by the commission
lit Is true we joined with the city
In it's former request for reduction
In power schedules. but only because
we did not have the time nor the CD
portunity to present at that time our
reasons for Directing to rate SEIZED
ule which was not based on costs or
was equitable in its charges as be-
tween the large and small consumers
Rate schedules can not be formu
lated in day, and certainly can not
be properly arrived at without con
etdering the cost Of the service
I'VE court the most earnest and
thorough investigation of all our oper
atoms by the public service commits
sion and ask the good citizens OF
Richmond to withhold any criticism
OF our present action until the com
mission has had time to make q thor
ough and proper investigation of the
operations of our company and the
municipal plant as we'll"
Rates Cut Down.
The rate reduction made in March O.
this year brought the price Of electric
ity for lighting purposes and for power
down about 25 per cent The maxi
mum rate was reduced from nine cent.
minus 90 per cent discount. to
cents, minus a one cent per kilowa
discount. This makes the present
maximum rate 6 cents per kilowat, ex
cept in cases of default of payment.
The petition points out that thes,
annl1llI1lzlIzll