The Washington times., 1916-11-22
Would Have Any Credit Below
Minimum Carried Over to
Next Month.
NO RATE REDUCTION ASKED
Advocates Insist Plan Merely
Means Giving Consumer All
He Pays For.

Equalization of the householder's
electric light bill SO that he will
actually get all the electric current
he pays FOR. is sought by the Pet.
worth Citizens Association.
A committee OF the organization is
formulating a petition addressed to
the Public Utilities Commission, to
obtain a change In the present sys.
ten of the minimum flat rate per
month so that the current less than
the minimum for one month can be
credited against any excess over the
minimum the next month.
The proposition means that when
man uses DO cents worth OF cleo
tricity in November and pays n dollar
Tor 1t, he will only pay n dollar in
December when he uses $1.10 worth
or current, although 81 will remain
tho minimum flat service charge.
Expert Discusses Costs.
The question came UP at the meet
Ing of the association at the Petworth
school last night, and James r. DAILY,
an electrical expert, gave the associa.
ton an exhaustive statement Of the
cost OF electric power and the manner
in which It is distributed. He ex.
planned that the proposition which
was before the organization in the
on public utilities, was not a proposal
to reduce the rates, but was simply to
give the consumer fair treatment and
all the current that he paid for.
things, that the cost OF electric cur
rent to the power company. when coal
10 used In the generation OF the pow
er, IL nine-tenths OF a cent per kilo
hA Al
cents per kilowatt for its current.
On the flat service rate plan, he
said, the company is really receiving
more than that. The average house
mot consume the minimum amount OF
current. He pays the minimum rate
just the same. When he consumes
any excess of the minimum he pays
tion for the small amount OF current
he previously used under the mini
mum.
Telephone Adopts Plan.
Mr.. Daily explained that the tele
phone company has taken this matter
under consideration, and instead OF
charging a fiat service rate of thirty
calls per month, II now charges for
$50 calls per year, 80 that a sub
scriber who does not use thirty calls
Ia one month. although he pays the
amount he Is entitled to receive, and
can use this up as an excess in any
OF the succeeding months without in
creasinE his telephone bill.
The meeting OF the association last
night was called to order by Presi
dent Charles ]. James. One of tho
hrst items OF business discussed wat
the matter of securing an additions
Appropriation for the Petwortf
School. During the course of tn,
meeting several resolutions were in
troduced which related to this matter
Consider schools.
The Petworth citizens arc endeavor
ing, said Chairman Jesse c. Suter, o
the school committee, to secure SUI
cient school facilities to give tn
pupils of the Petworth School in III,
intermediate grades more than a half
day school. The fact that the schoo
Is at present too small to accommo
date the pupils and that II Is neces
sary for many OF the intermediate
grades to conduct only halfda.
schools was brought out during tn
course of the presentation OF tn
matter.
The opinion OF the association wa
unanimously registered in favor of oh
tanning the increased appropriation
The school committee was also In
structed to inform the Board OF Edu
cation that the association does no
favor tho proposal for the shortening