The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-01-20

CONTEST ouTeRoWTH APPLICATION FOR REDUCTION
RATES ELECTRIC PowER-cLAIM MONTANA
PANY VIOLATION OF THE STATE LAW

. The complaint of the Federal Min
ing & Smelling company and the Tam
arack & Custer Consolidated Mining
filed year and a half ago with the
Idaho public utilities commission pro-
testing against the rates charged by
the Washington water Power company
for electric power and asking for a
reduction, which initiated the hearing
now in progress in this city before the
utilities commission, has been lost to
view in the greater contest between
the Washington Water Power company
and the Montana Power Co, in which
the former contends that the latter Is
doing business in this district in vio-
lation of the laws of the state of Idaho,
and that the law passed by the last
session of the legislature under which
the Montana company is serving cer-
tain mining companies In this district
is invalid. 1t Is claimed that the Mon
tana Power company has never applied
for certificate of necessity to enable
it to do business in Idaho. The last
legislature passed a law permitting
ing individuals or companies operat-
ing in Idaho to secure electric power
from companies outside the state by
constructing at their own expense
transmission lines to the state line,
there to connect the lines of foreign
power companies. Presumably con-
| 70 Al, 49,. Ia,
transmission lines were erected to
connect with the Montana Power COM
pany at the state line and the Federal
Mining & Smelling company, the
Tamarack & Custer Consolidated the
Herculese and the Interstate Callahan
are receiving power from the Montana
company.
Contention Of Washington Company
In the opening statement Frank T.
Post, for the Washington Water
Power company, charged that the Mon
tana Power company, or it's subsidiary,
the Thompson Falls Power company,
was supplying electric power in Idaho
from points outside the state in vio-
lation of the laws of the state, and
that even though it was complying
with the statute passed by the last
legislature, that the statute is invalid
This statement by Mr.. Post was made
at the request of Axel p. Ramstedt,
chairman of the utilities commission,
in orded to make the issue of the
hearing clear Upon the completion
of his statement Mr.. Post called F. FL.
Brownell, of Seattle, chairman of the
board of directors of the Federal COM
pany. The line of questions indicated
that attorneys for the Washington
company will endeavor TO show that
the Montana company Is doing busi-
ness in Idaho without authority of law
and without having filed schedule
Of rates as is required of all similar
corporations. In the course of his ex-
animation by Mr.. Post, Mr.. Brownell
admitted that the Montana Power Co.
built and paid for the line constructed
from the state line to serve the Federal
company and other mining companies,
but that this expense, amounted to ap-
proximately $4,000, was repaid to the
Montana company under subsequent
agreement.
In the course of the hearing the fol-
lowing witnesses were examined; I'll. L.
Creek Light company, H. L. Hanson
of the Morning Mining company. ].
w. Hutchins of the Mulan Light COM
pany, Steven Hogan of the Thompson
Falls Power company, ]. B. Fiske of
the Washington Water Power COM
pany, w. J. Hall of the Federal COM
pany, Otto OLSON of the Hypotheek
Mining company, Leonard Wilson of
Salt Lake City, w. S. Berglund of the
Federal company, A. H. Featherstone,
and E. r. Day of the Hercules Mining
company. The hearing closed yester-
day afternoon and the complainant
was given Is days in which to file
brief and similar time was given
thereafter to the defendants.
The hearing was completed yester-
day afternoon, after which the COM
mission was occupied with the Mullan
Water company, in which j. e. Gyde
appeared for the Mullan council, and
A. M Strobe and D. E. Keys, owners
of the water works, gave testimony.
An Array Of Attorneys.
The hearing has brought to this city
an array of attorneys from this and
adjoining states. The Washington
Water Power company is represented
by Frank T, Post, of Spokane, and
John P. Gray, of Occur d'Alene. The
Montana Power company is represen-
ted by l.. o. Evans and G.
B. Rogers, of Butte, and the
Thompson Falls Power company by
Jesse Hawley, of Boise. James e.
Babb, of Lewiston, and Featherstone
& Fox, of Wallace, are attorneys for
the Federal company, and Walter H.
Hanson, of this city, represents the
Tamarack & Custer company.
The hearing was watched with
unusual interest by the mining inter-
ests throughout the district.