The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-05-05
ELECTR|CCURRENT
RATES APPROVED
BY Commission
Public Utilities Body Replies To
Protest Against Price 1t
Has Set
INVESTIGATION MAY
BRING ABOUT CHANGE
Il
HiIo Traction Company Objects
To Figures 1t Must Pay For
Juice

The public utilities commissioners at
their meeting. yesterday approved q
letter to the Hilo Traction Company on
the rate assessed to them for power TO
be supplied by the Hilo Electric Com.
pany. The establishment Of a rate had
been left to the utilities commission by
agreement of the two corporations.
Exception was taken to the rate of
.Ol26 n kilOwatt hour for minimum
OF sixty thousand kil0wntts a month if
the current is to be measured on the al
ternating current side of the converter.
The traction company objects to this
manner of measurement Of current. The
difference between the two sides of the
converter it appears, is considerable for
TO get 10000 kilowatts delivered
through the machine about 10000 kilo-
watts must be manufactured. The loss
of the $1,000 kilowatts would not have
been a fair one to put on the electric
company, think the commissioners who
went very carefully into the cost of
manufacture, before making the rate.
Letter Confirms Rate
TO deliver to the house meters in
Hilo it costs an average of over three
cents and half so the rate made to
the Traction company is considered to
be very fair. The letter confirming the
action on the rate was as follows:
Referring to our conversation over
the phone of May 3, in which you stat
ed that it was out Of the question to
accept the current delivered by the
Hilo Electric Light Company, Ltd, to
the Hilo Traction Company, Ltd, at
the rate of l.26 cents n k. W. based on
minimum of 10000 k. W. consumption
per month, mOtored on the II. C. side of
the converter, l would state that the
books of the Electric Light Company
show that it cost 3.57 cents per k W.
on the house meters. The cOmmssiO on
has arrived at reasonable average
after reviewing the report of the Flee
trio Light Company 5 affairs.
Opinions Liable To Change
"If the Hilo Electric Light Company,
were to assume an approximate loss Of
20 per cent in the converter and de
liver go, 900 k. ". hours on the d. c. side
of the converter they would be deliver
ing 10000 k W. hours actually on the
H. T. sue anu lt'tlNluS COAhptHSltloH dI
the rate Of l.26 cents on the 10000
k. W. hours only. This would result in a
rate per k.w hour on the n. C. side of one
cent plus. You are aware that the IlilO
Electric Light Company, Ltd, is one of
the utility corporations that the com
mission is about to investigate, aud this
investigation may change the above
opinion. But you must also realize that
the purpose Of the meeting in which
the rate to be charged was fixed 50
that the Traction Company might begin
at the earliest possible moment, the
securing of Congressional action on
their franchise. As the figures on the
company : book show the cost Of pro
duction which the Commission has not
accepted in its entirety, they fixed the
rate at l.2G cents after eliminating
certain items from their book accounts
Inasmuch as both the Traction Com
Pnny and the Electric Light Company
left the rate entirely in the hands of
the Public Utilities Commission, we feel
satisfied that the rate fixed is equitable
and there should be no appeal.
A.