The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-02
BOND FORFEITURE
is NOT RELISHED BY
CENTRAL POWER co.
Corporation Proposing to Enter Barre
Does Not Feel That 1t Should Be
Penalized for Failure to Live
Up to Agreement

Representatives of the Central Power
Co.. Inc, which is seeking the privilege
to establish a power line in Barre, ap'
peared before the city council at spe'
cial meeting last night, examined the
draft of the proposed franchise and pro-
nounced it almost letter perfect. Charles
II. Thompson, general manager and
agent, and B. A. Sumner, after applying
the critical lens to the instrument, ap.
proved the one and seven-tenths price per
kilowatt, quoted price of five cents per
kilowatt for energy used by domestic
consumers for lighting and heating pur-
poses and said that 25 years as the life
of the franchise was perfectly agreeable
to them. They were not so far partial
toward the proposal that a $4,000 bond
to be filed within 60 days after the con
tract is accepted, shall be forfeited to the
city if the line is not established before
July |. 1918. albeit at the first confer
ence with them fortnight ago they said
it was reasonable for everyone to expect
that the company will be doing business
by July |, 1917. Speaking for the com
pany, Mr.. Thompson gave it as his opin-
ion that it would be unfair to penalize
his concern $4,000 if market and deliv-
cry conditions preclude the possibility of
getting the apparatus in operation as
late as the middle of 1918.
This feature may prove a stumbling
block in the way of reaching swift adj
iustment of the few outstanding differ
ences that exist and then again the rep
of the Central Power Co.
may have a counter proposition to make
when they find out that the council pro-
poses to amend the tentative franchise
by providing for a 50-cent minimum
charge where meters arc installed for do
mestic consumers. The object of the 80
cent charge is to act as an estoppel on
any attempt to impose a more burden
some minimum on the small consumer.
But for the most part, Messrs, Thomp-
son and Sumner seemed to feel that the
P Rherma mic legislative committee had
drafted a pretty satisfactory document.
Mr. Thompson went so far as to paint
roseate picture Of householder getting
three meals a day for six persons at a
cost Of less than four cents. Naturally,
Mr.. Thompson did not reckon therein the
cost of the edibles nor the householder's
time nobody figures mothers time in
the overhead-nor did he intimate that
gas. coal or wood would be used. So the
assumption was that the four-cent days
meals would be prepared by electricity
st a rate of three cents per kilowatt.
Here's how: Breakfast, one and one
fourth cents; lunch, four -ffths of a cent;
Inner. two and one-quarter cents, The
Eve cent charge per kilowatt, it followed,
work an intolerable hardship
IN the householder.
Aldermen Healy and Bruce were the
,bsentees and after they had given the
franchise the up and down,
Nessrs. Thompson and Sumner left the
council to its own deliberations. Pre-
,iously. Mr.. Thompson had asked and
'eceived a confirmatiye reply to his sur
Mise that the franchise granted the pre-
lecessors of the company now furnishing
Electrical power in Barre is perpetual and
hat the council cannot curtail or amend
Is powers. As for the one and seven
enths price-Mr Thompson changed his
v
Ie said, couldn't be expected to guaran
ee lower rate, inasmuch as future con
itions must be regarded as wholly un
ertain. In the event that the public
ervice commission should see fit to grant
he company the right to sell electricity
or lights in Barre. he continued, the~six-
ent rate per kilowatt mentioned the
ther night may be reduced to five cents,
rate which viii prevail on power used
or heating, etc. On municipal lighting,
e thought that a threc-cent rate could
e quoted.
at looks like a good, progressive char
err" said Mr. Thompson, as he laid down |
he draft which Alderman Glysson had |
assed to him for his scrutiny. At this /
lucture he suggested that the clause |
'hich insists that the company must fur |
ish a bond of $4,000 within 60 days |
fter the franchise is accepted by the |
ouncil be amended to extend the time to
0 DAYS. He said that the company. in /
s negotiations elsewhere in the state, is
aving good deal of business to tran |
act in the way of filing bonds and
lought that the additional 80 days |
.ould be useful. City Clerk Mackay ex
lained that the franchise will not be-
lme operative until the bond is fur
ished and intimated that the 60-day
nit had been stipulated partly for the
Jason that the company a fortnight ago
Ipressed its desire t. secure the fran
lise as soon as possible.
At first the representatives thought
iere could be no objection to forfeiture
the bond il the power lines are not
before July l, 1918, but later 4
was stated that the company does not
,sire to be penalized for cventualities
yer which it has no control Fixing
of six months after July l,
III. as suggested BY Alderman Shurtlef,
ID not appeal to them. After the com
,ny's representatives had departed,
lere was talk of amending the draft in
der to include a 50-cent minimum me-
r charge and tentative article t~this
feet viii have been added when the
anchise tinkering is resumed Monday
'ening.
One Other Matter Considered.
Before adjournment, Alderman Glysson
ought UP the matter of allowing the
are & Chelsea railroad to loop the
op" on portion of land owned by the
tv near Enterprise alley. He thought
i