The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-04-16
FRANCHISE
EXPLAINED BY SUPT.
SAYS VILLAGE WOULD PROFIT BY
ADOPTION
Service Would Be OF the Best and Rates
as Low and Fair as the Company
Could Make Them

Flint Electric Co., appeared before the
common council, Monday evening, and
made very interesting and lucid ex-
PLANTATION of the franchise which his
company is offering to Clio.
The main provisions of the franchise
were stated in last week s Messenger,
so that-a restatement of them is per-
haps unnecessary at this time. The
prices for street lighting afford con-
siderable saving over the present
prices. and may be had on five or ten
year contract; the ten year contract
being considerably cheaper than the
five year contract. On either of these
contracts light will be furnished until
midnight or until dawn, as may be con-
tracted for, or part of the system
may be operated on one plan and part
on the other, the midnight lights being
shifted off by clockwork. Twenty-four
hours service, however, will be avail
able on all lines.
The scale of prices, or the scheme
upon which the rate is to be made,
seemed to be the hardest thing to under
stand. We do not know that we can
make this plain. but will try to do so.
The rate to each consumer is based on
connected load," that is to say the
number of lamps on any circuit in
house or business place are estimated
as to their electrical capacity for per-
iod of thirty hours, for which period.
whether one lamp or all are burned, the
maximum rate of 10c per kilowat will
be charged. Rear in mind that you are
not charged for the burning of all of the
lamps, whether you burn them or not,
but you are charged at the maximum
rate until the total amount of electricity
used shall be in excess of the capacity
of your circuit for period of thirty
hours, after which the rate would be &c
per kilowat, with further reduction
to &c per kilowat in case you use your
circuit in excess of its capacity for an
additional thirty hours. To make this
proposition little palmer, if possible.
let us assume that in this dry territory
there were common demand for water
and people were having water tanks of
various sizes filled daily or monthly by
a firm selling water; this firm would
say to each customer: "For the first
time we fill your tank or put any
amount of water in it you may require,
we will charge you at the rate of 10c
per gallon, but if we fill it or any part
&c per gallon" That, in a general
sense, is the proposition of the Flint
Electric Co. in selling electricity. Mr..
Baird says this basis of charging for
the use of electricity is the most equit-
able and scientific that has been put
into use up to the present time and has
the endorsement of those who are fam
iliar with the problems involved. The
big consumer is charged at exactly the
same rate as the small consumer, be-
cause the amount of equipment. or in
vestment in electrical apparatus, is
proportionately greater to cover the re-
quirements of the large consumer than
for the small consumer. The present
charge for private service in Clio is
zoe per kilowat for the first five kilo-
watts and &c thereafter. Mr.. Baird
stated that he could not conceive of
any customer in Clio who would not find
a reduction in his bills in case the fran
chise were adopted
Asked concerning the personnel of
the Flint Electric Co., Mr.. Baird stated
that it was holding company" a
subsidiary of The Commonwealth Elec-
trio Light and Power Company, of the
State of Maine, the company that owns
the Au Sable Power Co., the Saginaw
Electric Co., the Michigan United Trac-
ton Co., the S. & F. Ry. Co., and per-
haps others. He said that while he
could not put definite time limit on
the proposition it was the purpose of
the company to extend the Flint rates
to Clio and Mt. Morris and other nearby
towns at the earliest possible time,
that it would be to the company's int
crest to secure the largest number of
patrons possible and that it could be
depended upon to treat the people fair
ly at all times. In any event, he said,
the State Railroad Commissioner would
have supervision of rates and If the
people should ever consider that they
were being used unfairly they could put
the matter up to him. Under the terms
of the franchise the company assumes
full responsibility for any accidents
that may occur through the use of its
apparatus.
Mr.. Baird said that while franchise