The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-01-19

Beaver River Power company and the
Idaho Power & Light company start
ed building into these two fields, the
former into the Pocatello and the lat
ter into the Twin Falls. The rival
companies in control of the fields
appealed to the public utilities COM
mission to prevent entrance of these
companies into their territory; claim
ing they had violated the terms of the
public utilities act in that they had
not secured certificates before build
ing. Then these two companies asked
the commission for certificates to do
so. The commission denied the applica-
tiOns and laid down the policy OF re-
fusing to permit wasteful competition.
Instead the commission proceeded to
regulate the rates of the Great Sho-
shOne and Southern Idaho companies.
The case was carried to the supreme
court and the commission sustained
Recently the Idaho Power & Light
company renewed it's application for
a certificate and the new commission
now orders the old order vacated and
permits this company to enter the
Twin Falls field
Finding of Commission
After reviewing the facts leading up
to the former ruling and citing opin-
ions to sustain it's reversal OF the
former order the commission con-
ciudes as follows:
The record shows that in the spring
of 1912 the applicant herein, or rather
its predecessor in interest, construct
ed transmission line from its sta
ton to Boise and also transmission
line to Gooding, together with distri-
button lines in the city of Boise and
the villages of Gooding, Mountain
Home and Glenns Ferry and supplied
electrical energy for light and power
purposes in said communities from and
after about May /, 1912, and that the
schedule of rates so established ranged
from maximum of SC downward.
The Great Shoshone company reduced
| its rates to the same basis in this
competitive territory. 1t also appears
| from the record that the applicant
herein is ready and willing to furnish
power for lighting purposes in the ter
ritofy in question at rate not ex-
ceeding q maximum of SC per kilowatt
hour; although the maximum fixed in
the ordinances of the several cities,
towns and villages in question was lie
per kilowatt hour. This territory was
threatened by the applicant herein ~
early as 1912, active steps being takfk
| to secure the necessary franchises
| from the various cities, towns and
villages in the early part of 191. This
shows reduction from maximum of
15c in January, 1913, to maximum
of Sc at the present time, We, there
fore, must conclude that the Great
| Shoshone company at the time the
| territory In question was threatened
with competition, was not furnishing g
electrical energy to the inhabitants of
the various cities, towns and villages
in said territory at reasonable rates.
Was Territory Seryed2
"We next come to the third proposi-
ton. Was and is the territory in
question completely served by the
Great Shoshone company? The rec
ord shows that the Great Shoshone
has constructed 9687 miles of rural
distribution lines, scattered over six
counties and radiating out from Is
different cities, towns and villages as
| distribution centers From these facts
we can hardly conclude that the en-
tire territory Of those six counties was
completely occupied by the Great Sho-
shone company The California COM
mission In the case of the Pacific Gas
& Electric comr4any versus Great
Western Power company, supra, page
212, said: But the fact that power
| line. for instance, crosses county and
in the immediate vicinity of its line is
distributing electricity for power and
light purposes, certainly could not
lead US to conclude that the entire
territory Of such company was COM
pletely occupied by the existing util-
ity.'
Another question urged by the ap-
plieant was that the Idaho Power &
Light company can furnish power
more cheaply than the Great Shoshone
company, by reason of it's smaller In
vestment. Evidence was introduced
showing the property cost OF the Sho-
shone company to be something like
$4.217 ,203.84, while that Of the Idaho
Power & Light company was @2,192,-
009.20. These figures were COMPILED
from the annual reports OF the COM
EhAies filed With this comm1ssaon.
This matter Of vaiuea or cost was very
ligftly touched upon and we can hard
| " give very much weight to the apae
We would hesitate considerably be
fore accepting the same as final IN 4
rats making contest We are satfsfied
| (Conttnued on Page 50