Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-08-04
STATE CONVICTS ARE
MAKING GOOD FARMERS
On the States Land at Homedale ConvictS are
Producing Big Crops Public Utilities Report
Earnings--AskS for Big Fee.


| treasurer. The case has recently
| been decided against the bonding
company, judgment with accrued in
terest being for something more
than 1000. The state depository
board, having the matter in charge,
after endeavoring to settle with the
bonding company without bringing
suit. instructed the attorney general
to collect the amount due through a
suit in the state courts On repre-
sentation that the attorney generals
force was too busy to prosecute the
case, the attorney general was in
structed to employ assistance. Act
ing through the authorization, Mr..
Coffin was selected, and prosecuted
the case to a successful issue. 1t is
reported that the bonding company
before suit was filed offered to con-
fess to judgment of $4,000. 1t
would appear that the state would
have been better off if this compro-
mise had been accepted, as under
TN present Judgment, when Mr. Cof-
fin has been paid, the state will not
be in receipt OF $4,000 from the
judgment rendered, if it is paid
which is still to be determined.
Mr.. Coffin since his retirement
from the attorney generals office
has been acting as special counsel
for the attorney general in the fore
closure of mortgages on farm lands
on which the state had made loans,
Each Of these cases is of the de-
fault character no defense being
presented, and carrying with it All
attorneys fee Of ten per cent of the
amount Of the judgment.
Public Utilities Report Earnings.
The state board OF equalization has
received the annual report OF earn
ings contemplated under the law
from the ten railroad lines operat-
ing in this state. This is for the year
1915. The state board of equaliza-
tion at its annual meeting in August
has for what may be termed its prin-
cipal duty the actual assessment Of
the property OF the various public
utilities in this state.
The reports submitted show the
total gross earnings OF the railroads
reporting as approximately $2O,-
100000. OF this gross amount, al
most two-thirds are the earnings OF
the Oregon Short Line. Counting
the roads closely allied to it, such
as the Idaho and Washington North
ern and the Idaho Southern, and
tAiCI1 10 more imam LWO-
thirds Of the gross earnings credited
to this source. The gross earnings
Of all these roads shows a decrease
over the year 1914 Of about two
million dollars.
Taking the figures given in the
report covering the business OF the
Oregon Short Line in Idaho, the fol-
lowing statement is from it:
1QrE
Gross earnings .$13,0 O4,944.99
Operating expenses . S,433,764.49
Net earnings ..... Ash. .1S0.5O
Gross earnings ..$14,417,881.36
Operating expenses :. S,S59.452.
| Net earnings | 5,55S42S
The above figures are for the fis-
cal year ending June 80 of each year,
The total depreciation is said to be
unknown in the report while the
! fixed charges cannot be segregated
The report of the three great pow
er companies operating in the
Southern part of the state shows in
their reports what is regarded as a
gratifying condition.
The three reporting companies are
the Utah Power & Light company,
the Electric Investmnt company and
| the Southern Idaho Water Power
company. The reports show that the
| companies made more money in 1915
| than during the previous year. The
| percentage of increase in the Elec-
| trio Investment company in 1915
over 1914 was 542. In the case of
the Utah Power company the relia-
tive increase was S5.7 per cent.
With the Southern Idaho company
| the relative increase WAS 1873 nor
| cent.
The following statements are CIV
en- by the three companies for the
year 1915:
Electric Investment Company