The Alaska daily empire., 1915-04-01

d,,ea inc tolls and we 14e no "h9 9A .,,,,9 eesS them do 30. Finally we rais- ,,,''e.5 s s,ooev by private subscription to betld rival bridge but che bridge company eniolned us The upshot Of fhe lcht was that the tollbridge com oa,g's .aV charter was knocked out
 Rlobt To Pass it Attacked
 ,,torney J H. Cobb, representing.
 ho local light and power company cold his main objection to Che bill was because othe Legislature has no pow sr fo enact such law under your or. ganic act
 He said. "at natural monopoly such ae Mir Rustgard had referred to was ,gbore there was only one wharf one oiectrie neht company one telephone company. etc, to serve community but he said. such natural monop' olva eould serve a community cheap sr than two or three of the same utili. ties He maintained that it would bel nnwlse to provide public service reg nlations at this time When the time comes and the Legislation comes In sSe nroper form. the public service conversations will welcome regulation. bnt that time is not now he said. sfr cobb further maintained that out eide of inc Snake River bridge con troversy and the White Pass rate trouble of i6 years ago, no complaints had been made chat exorbitant rates had been charged by public utilities lin Alaska.
 aNever Exceeded iofo"
 "The company represent at this hearing has never exceeded a profit of ten percent. and last year earned only eight percent" he said. He thought the remedy would be Board of Utilities. composed of experts. and inHmated that the law. if enacted at this time. would cost the municipaii- ties more to push It's enforcement than the amount the public would save by a regulation of the rates. He said the Alaska Elictric Light & Pow CT Company had always been public spirited. and a great factor in the com muuity. and said there was no de- mand for regulation such as the bill proposed.
 Mir. Rustgard asked Mr. Margrie if anyone had ever been given lower rates than the ten-centa-kilowatt charged the people of Juneau. "Yes, we sold power to the Alaska Gastin- eau Mining Company last year, for three cents kilowatt but the com pany provided It's own lines and trans formers" Mir. Margrie told him.
 Why don't you furnish the people the same rate?" Mir Rustgard asked
 "We couldn't collect from the peo- pie. like we can from the Gastineau company, They furnish everything. lines. transformers. switchboards. etc and we get our money promptly he replied.
 But suppose we pay you in ad- vance would you furnish us power for three cents a lfowatt?' Mir. Rust gard again asked
 No, WIG couldn't do it" Mr. Mar grie said.
 Mr. Cobb said that the sale of pow CT to the Gastineau company during the summer months. when the cleo uic load is lightest was utilization of a by-product' or surplus of pow CT
 Why are you afraid of this bN ifI your company has not earned over ten percent?' Mir Cobb was asked "Wo are not afraid of the bin, but think it unwise.' he replied. We Lave had several lean years, you must take into consideration.
 Low Rate For City
 Mir. Margrie said the municipality was getting light for two cents a lSilo- watt, and less. "NVe are losing mon ey on that rate. but we make 1t up elsewhere" he said. Mayor 0'Con- nor told Mir. Margrie that it was poor business Go make the people pay more and give the city the low rate
 Mr. Margrie said the average cost Of producing a kiiowatt of electricity in Juneau. was six cents Mr. Rust gard said his company would guaran- tee to produce it at a cost of one cent a kilowatt.