Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1915-09-24

Iull cdsn value OF the sewer cOmpanyS
plant is $4,000, which closely approx
mates the reproduction value of the
plant as calculated by the engineer of
the Public Service Commission. The
nei operating revenue of the sewer
company for the year 1914 was, in
round figures, $4,000, which is less than
~ per cent upon the actual value OF
the property These figures are not
given for the purpose of finally and
conelusiyely determining what would
be a lair return for the sewer com
pany to realize upon the value of it's
plant, but they are given rather for
the purpose of showing that the State
Bank building is earning very much
more in proportion to its actual pres
ent value than is the sewer company's
plant.
Mr.. Moore, in presenting the grew
ances Of himself and his clients, seem
I ingly attached great Importance to
the alleged fact that the State Bank
& Trust building paid about II per
cent of the total revenue of the sewer
company II is hard to see how this
fact II II be a fact has anything what.
/ ever TO do with the question of rea,
sonable rates The building in ques,
ton is a very large one, perhaps the
largest office building in southern Ne
/ vada II contains something like sew.
entyfye apartments. Ii is in fact
equal to a fair sized hamlet in itself.
ana there Is nothing in the testimony
to show that il pays any more in pro
portion To the serS ice which ii re-
ceiyes than others do who are served
by the sewer company
Upon the question OF the reasonable
mes OF The rates charged by the sewer
company. there was virtually no testi
mony beyond the fact that some of the
patrons were paying more than they
wanted TO- Each approached the mat
ter from his own viewpoint and this
is quite generally the fact in all cases
of the kind that the Commission has
to deal with This is not intended as
any reflection upon the witnesses. II
business matters it is only natura
that men should endeayor to secure
service al the lowest possible rates
while at the same time it is equally
natural for men to charge all that tn,
traffic viii bear for any service or an,
commodity which they have to dispose
OF.
The testimony of Henry Schmid
upon this point was in the highest de
gree significant. No witness coulC
have testified more fairly than ne did
He stated frankly that from his stand
point as a user of the sewer service
the charge was too high, but that HI
: would not consider it so If he ownec
= the sewer system Here we have tn
whole proposition in nutshell.
We come now TO Mr. Moores sug
gestion that the business methods o
the sewer company are bad; that
those methods were improved the CON
pany could conduct its business NOR
economically and have less bad debts
During the progress Of the hearing
the presiding Commissioner endeaN
ored TO make il perfectly clear tina
Il is not the province of a public SCI
vice commission to dictate in deta
, the business methods to be pursue
by a public service corporation. Thi
is probably as well settled as any poin
, connected with the regulation of pun
! lie utilities The presumption is tbs
every man is taking care of his ow
business to the best of his ability an
with an eye to economy and efficiene,
( This presumption applies to a publ
D utility just the same as to prival
individual
I Considerable time was taken by M
! Moore in conducting his side of II
4, case to an attempt at showing that
~ was the duty of the company to kee
track Of the tenants occupying the va
ious houses and not allow them to g
n away. leaving unpaid bills owing to Il
/ sewer company. This does not see
o to be a logical or reasonable conte
= ton II should be borne in mind tn
y there is a very great difference b
a TWEEN sewer service ana the seryi'
i which is furnished by electric Zig
: and water and telephone companie
y The latter are more distinctly pc
- sonal The sewer connection Is