The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-05-09
H|[O COMPANIES
CROSS W|RESAGA|N
Public Utilities Commission Call.
ed On To Stop the Sparks and
Settle Msunderstandino

The Hilo Traction Company and the
HilO Electric Company like Tweedle.
DUN and TweedleiDee are arguing
again. As announced in The Advertis.
err yesterday there is q hitch in the
rate that was set by the public util.
tiles commission. Both companies
agreed to abide by the decision of the
commission as TO the rate set but now
1t seems that the traction company
wanted the rate fixed on q direct cur!
rent base while the Hilo Electric PEG.
pie wanted II fixed on the alternating
current base and under the impression
that the Traction Company wanted Il
this way and that the utilities commits.
sioners decided that for minimum
amount Of sixty thousand kilowatt
hours a month the traction company
should pay TO the electric company a
fraction over cent and a quarter for
each kilowatt.
At a special meeting of the utilities
commissioners yesterday afternoon the
matter was thrashed out, G. @. Ballen.
tyne and Robert W. Shingle appearing
for the Traction Company. and Frank
E; Thompson representing the Hilo
Electric.
May Amend Contract
The commissioners made the an.
nouncement that the rate they had de.
cided upon was subject to change after
the investigation May 10 of the books
of the company and its property. This
led to discussion as to the result a
change in the rates would make in a
thirty year contract which is about to
be entered into by the two corporations
at issue. IL was explained that the
commissioners had the absolute right
to change the rates even in a contract
between two utility corporations IL
they had not already approved the con.
tract. ". s1h ~ "H.. r.,
Under the terms of the proposed con.
tract the electric company will con
tract to sell to the traction company
minimum of sixty thousand kilowatt
hours month. If the traction company
does not take this much il will have
to pay for it Just the same. In part
payment for the service the traction
company will give the concession of the
water of the Waikiki river, estimated
as being worth $4,000 a year, to the
electric company and will get credit on
its bill for the same.
Must Install Machinery
II was the impression, as stated by
Mr.. Ballentyne, that the electric com.
pany, with its present equipment,
would not be able to supply the juice
specified as the minimum to be taken
without installing an additional plant
and his contention was that If the plant
had to be installed II was Just as cheap
for the company TO put in direct cur
rent generator as another alternating
current machine. In this way there
would not be any need for the placing
of meter to measure juice for the
traction company so that there would
be any loss in transformation as is at
present proposed.
Under the present plan to get the
sixty thousand kiiowatts on one side
of converter, twenty per cent more
has to be manufactured. 1t seems that
it takes seventy-two thousand kilowatts
of direct current to make sixty thou.
sand kilowatts of alternating current
and at the rate charged for the current
delivered the traction company would
be actually paying for what it got at
the rate of a cent and two-ffths in.
stead Of cent and a quarter plus.
Attorney Thompson speaking for the
electric company stated that the cor.
respOndence which had been read at
the meeting in Hilo had in view alter.
mating current only while the traction
claimed that all their
was based on a direct
current plan.
The result of the discussion was that
Thompson requested Ballentyne TO sub
init to his clients for their considera-
ton what sort of plant it was thought
necessary to install to give the service
desired. This was agreed upon and as
soon as the Hilo Electric people are
heard from there will probably be an
other meeting of the utilities commits
sion to take the subject up.
The investigation of the books and
plant of the Hilo Electric company
will begin in HilO May 10, after the
final hearing in the Hawaii telephone
matter is finished. '7'