Arizona republican., 1916-06-08
MANY MATTERS
 HOLD ATTENTION 6 OF COMMISSION
(Continued from Page Four)

more money for your current than it would if produced by steam, still they | would be in favor of its purchase, as the money would be turned into the l treasury of the Water Users Associa- l ton. Many of the heavy taxpayers of the city have farm lands and are vitally interested in the prosperity of the farmers of this valley.
 It would be of interest to the city even without profit to furnish current to develop industrial institutions which would make the property in the city and also the farm lands in the valley more valuable.
 The plan contemplated by the city for municipal plant includes a com plete steam plant to he used in case of emergency when the current from the Roosevelt Dam might be out of commission. An investigation of the financial affairs of the Pacific Gas & Electric company would, we think, convinced you that they are not in position at present to put in a modern or complete steam plant. Upon investi- gation by the corporation commission tthey having hired an expert engineer | tG make a thorough investigation and appraisement of the property of the Pacific Gas 6 Electric company, they found the physical value of the prop erty to be in the neighborhood of s500,000. The bonds they have issued, 1 as shown by the report to the cor l poration commission, amount to over ] $900, GOO. By an agreement with the | corporation commission, made when l George P Bullard was the attorney general of the state, the corporation commission allowed the Pacific Gas | X Electric company, after deducting all items of expenses, including oper- ating expenses, to earn from eight to ten per cent net on $1,250, 900. Shortly after this agreement was reached MT. 1 Bullard became the attorney for the | Pacific Gas X Electric company.
 i Knowing all of the local conditions and also having the assurance of the 1 secretary of the interior by personal l telegrams and letters sent by him, | that no exclusive contract would be entered into with the Pacific Gas &
 Electric company, we believe the pro- | posed contract should not be made with them until at least the citizens of Phoenix have had ample time to decide the question of municipal own ership, as we firmly believe the pro- posed contract would give the Pacific Gas & Electric company monopoly l of the right to purchase from the gov ernment the electric current from the Roosevelt dam, and would give them an added leverage to compel the city
 to pay them an unusual price for their plant. As such a contract, in
 our opinion, would be claimed by> them
 to be very valuable asset.
 As the present contract has still
 three years to run and as present
 conditions in the City of Phoenix are
 not such as. to call for great in
 crease in the near future of electric
 power, we believe it right and reason
 able to ask your department not to
 enter into the proposed contract with
 the Pacific Gas & Electric company
 until our citizens have had an oppor-
 tunity to vote upon this question
 Very truly yours.
 c. N. MACBEAN,
 Vice Chairman.
 Immediately following the reading
 of the letters. Dr. w. c. Ellis presented
 an oren petition signed by 300 or 40(
 taxpayers asking that immediate at
 tention be given to the calling of a , bond election to vote bonds in a sun
 not to exceed s6OO.ooO, drawing inter est not in excess of 1-2 per cent
 Commissioner Richey said that tho
 commission was working out the de tails Of the proposition to call such ar election and that action would be talk
 en at the earliest possible date Dr
 Ellis and J. c. Adams pleaded for i'm
 mediate action, saying that it mus he apparent that it is the sense of ; :. majority of the taxpayers of the cit, that such action is vital to the bes interest of the citizens.
 Commissioner MacBean said that h. believed the commission was in position to go ahead immediately. al
 though he admitted that day or tw would be required to draft a prope ordinance calling the election.
 d Mayor Corpstein voiced the senti c ment of Commissioner MacBean an = said he knew of no good reason wh q there should be further delay There q upon Commissioner Richev move , that the city attorney be instructe to formulate an ordinance calling a 6 election the amount Of the propose , bonds and the date of the election t '. be left blank. He was for voting fc Q a first class plant such as is propose
 in recent report of City Engineer
 B. Girand and said that if an electio were held calling for bonds in the SUI of $S40,G00 as called for in the Giran report and that amount was found {
 be in excess of the actual needs. tf IT city need not sell all of the bonds bl l. only succh amount as might be needle e nr Ellis and Mr. Adams said ths e there were the best of reasons why tf e amount at this time should not be d excess of s6000O and that if tn
 amount were found inadequate n would be an easy matter to vote u IS additional amount required to con s p,ete the plant. The motion as pr n. scented by Commissioner Richev W; !, adopted with the understanding th D. when adjournment was taken for t a day it would be in the< form of a r ad cess until o'clock this afterno,
 when the proposed ordinance is e ar pected to be in readiness for passas th Removal of Town Ditch
 ia That he mad been given considerat