The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-05-16
49,, "a n r. 4 n - y q q N \ =
ANDHGHT
RATES IN HANNAH
. may BE-: 4 ADJUSTED
Supervisors Of BIG Island Want
y Public Utilities Commission
To Reduce Tariffs
X, Est. - g. .a..At| 4 AZ. e. .a
RECENT TRANSFORMATION
DEAL STARTS NEW MOVE
County and People Of HiIo Both
Claim They Are Victims Of
Corporations

The supervisors of Hawaii county
want the public utilities commission
to make an adjustment of the rates
charged subscribers Of the Hilo Elec.
trio company for power and light. This
was developed yesterday at the meet,
ing of the board where a letter was
read from Norman K Lyman, secretary
for Sam Kauhane, chairman of the
board of supervisors. The letter fol
lows:
Nov that the public utilities com
mission has decided upon and fixed the
rate of electric current that the Hilo
Electric Company can charge the Hilo
Traction Company, a concern winch the
public has no interest in, whatever, be-
cause the price of riding in the cars
will not be reduced in the least, 1t
will still be five-cent fares, please, we
would like rates fixed for the general
Consumers. , 81 ..%'a....' =
Want General Rate Adjusted
what the public generally is in.
tcrestcd in is that the public utilities
commission gets down to brass tacks
and 6xes" the rate that the company
should charge of the present consumers
of current and light, get a reasonable
;edpction for them and have tho proper
rates fixed so that the public and the
county will be able to get cheap cur
!ent.
"Why should the public and the
county have to pay as much each month
at the present time for a few street
lights, as it is going to cost company
that will not be in existence inside Of
two years. Shall we continue with this
high cost of current when the commits.
siOners have fixed the cost of the pro-
1uctiOn of current at :093i.
County Bill Too Large y ~
1.-THE bills for current and lights
which the county has paid for the last
quarter. amounted to $1E4.5l and this
amount is being Increased as time goes
on. Unless some relief is given to the
county by the public utilities commits
'ion this amount win be doubled in two
# three years. If you desire copies of
these claims I can furnish them to
you.
"Ratcs are so high now for the
electric current in town that the NOV.
!ng picture houses have raised the price
to the show house. The public Is being
stung for the increase and the public
utilities commission still sits tight.
Kindly let me know what can be
lone about this matter, as the county
is figuring on putting in power plant
Of its own if proper rates cannot be,
arrived at very soon" '
Plan Killed In Legislature
The letter leads to the plan preached
in the last legislature but which died
young, that HilO obtain the use of the
water-power belonging to the Terri.
tory in Wailuku river for the purpose of
installing a municipal light and power
plant along the lines of the lighting
plant of this city.
. AT the present time this water.power
is supposed to be for the use of the
Hilo Traction Company, which will
turn it over to the HilO Electric Com.
Pany as part payment for the power
the traction company will take from
the electric company, and arrangements
IRE soon to be started for the transfer
of or lease to the electric company
from the government.
Territory Loses and Wins
In the recent suit by the Territory
ogninst the Hilo Boarding School, to
tecide the ownership Of this water, the
Territory lost its case; but while losing.
IT gained in the quantity of water It
might have, as the water held to be,
long to the school was very much less
than it claimed.