Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-10-04
WATER RATES.
,osprAINr FILED WITH PUB
nc UTILITIES COMMISSION.
Ian OF ALDERMEN DIsCussEs THE
~.rrrR - ANOTHER L1TTER 10
povER COMPANY From Nh.
REDMAN.

-. nav .cheduls Of water rates issued
.-,hs Bar Harb Dor q Union River Power
!. 4 still the vital topic Of discussion In
rn.~orth. Developments Of the week
,n.lude the ding Of . complaint to the
.s.n,,c Utilities Commission, signed BY
..u,s forty water-takers, and another
,.,,sr TO the power company, written BY
p.r,sseutative elect Fulton J. ksdman,
.h;cb is printed In full below.
The board OF aldermen, at its regular
.,..tine Monday evening, also discussed
-. ws,er rates informally. The board
,.sl. tina, the power company has always
rem fairly treated BY the city govern
rant, I, has been given valuable fran
chi.es. and permission to erect poles,
.,ripr wires, trim trees and dig up streets
almost at viii.
The board feels also that tho increased
valuation placed on the property OF the
rower company this year ~as fully justi-
lad. and no higher in proportion than Is
nl,ced on the property OF private citizens.
The board feels that the increased water
ute Is simply . rstaliatory measure be-
c.use of the increased taxation, and, o.
one OF the aldermen put II Monday night,
.the city can play at this game % well as
the power company" There is no
doubt that had the suggestion that the
rover company be obliged to put all wires
underground been put In the form OF a
motion at Monday evenings meeting, 1t
would have been passed unanimously, but
/, was decided to take no action pending
the bearing OF the matter before the
Public Utilities Commission.
The complaint to the Public Utilities
Commission, headed BY Embert c. Osgood,
after citing the fact OF the issuing of the
new rates, complete schedule OF which
forms part OF the complaint, says:
That the said rates. tolls. charges and sched-
tiles for pumpins, transmitting. delivering
and furnishing to the patrons Of s&id COM
pany Ia said city Of Ellsworth are unjust and
unreasonable and unjustiy discriminatory.
They are unjust and unreasonable and the
regulations, measurements. practices and acts
Of saId public utility are unreasonable. In
saseient and unjustiy discriminatory.
No date for hearing on the complaint
has yet been announced. Mr.. Osgood has
received letter from the Public Utilities
Commission stating that the Ellsworth
water rates have never been approved by
the commission, II not being within its
province TO pass upon rates until COM
plaint has been regularly made.
Mr.. Redmans second letter TO the power
company follows:
ELLSWORTH. ME, Oct. .. 1919
Bar Ha,sor g. raion Rseey Poorer Co.. BaR-
COR. Mains
GxSriH xEs.--l am In receipt q your letter
Of September ~. 1871, N which you give as
the reason Tor the advance IN my water
charges, the fact that 1 have increased the
waisf Exigrss at nly home. You eyen Until
mate That have been unfair Ia not notiiyt
your eompa y u certain increase In ins,aIia-
ton Of water axsures since October. !a.j.
There has not been any increase thereof In
ry scre since that date. with the exception
Of one bath. room. the extra charge foi whiea,
under your schedule would be ~ per year.
Ye, you are raising my rate from saa to go
per year.
Now, 10 ge, down to business. your reason
for raising my water charges "a not that yna
have Just discovered . number OF extra water
fniures which have been in my home for
nearly year and . half, and which must
have been known TO your inspectors You
raised my water charges, and those OF the
other citizens OF this community, because the
city Of Ellsworth raised the tax assessment
on your property to an amount commemorate
with the fair taxable valuation thereof. This
ia something that II was the plain duty OF the
assessors Of this city to do.
II, In eapitaiixinw and issuing bonds. your
company has failed to take into consideration
that you were not paying tar In Ellsworth
commemorate with the valuation CT your
property there, that IL your mistake. Now
that the tax assessment on your property has
been raised TO where II belongs, you have no
right, as public service com pany, to charge
more for your service, in order to pay divi-
dends and interest on capital stock and
oondedness which should have contemplated
this increase in taxes. This 10 good law In
many jurisdictions where thsse public ser
vice questions have arisen. ! believe 1t is
good law in this State to-day. and II il is not,
That 1t win be as soon As the general public
anderstands the principle involved.
To refer to one other portion OF your letter.
iou say, concerning your water rate sehed-
sie' This schedule was filed with the Pub
NC Utilities Commission September :. 1918.
ana Is approved by them. ! do not under
stand that II is necessary for any Of the water
takers 9, be present At such hearing
That It Is not necessary for the water
tAkers to be present Is indeed enlishtening.
certainly not necessary from your point OF
view, agree. You are attempting 10 make
'ne public believe that you are justified In
charging in accordance with your published
schedule because, as you say in your adver'