The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-08-16
CITY COUNCIL NOTES.

Inc city council met IN regular au-
iourned session Monday evening.
The principal object of the meeting
was to actupon new public utility rates
and the big action was the adoption OF
the long promised reduction in electric
rates. The earnings of the electric
utility have been outrageous and with
the new combined water and electric
plant in operation with its cheaper
production would have resulted in
earnings which would not have bee
tolerated by the state railroad com
mission.
Only a few minor changes were made
in the schedule as recommended by the
utilities committee. Schenian offered
an amendment TO make it clear that
house wives using current for fat irons,
vacuum cleaners or washing machines
would not have the minimum charge
for power users applied to them and
its substance was adopted. They seem
to have overlooked the toaster on the
breakfast table.
The new schedule provides a six
cent rate for lighting where consump.
tion is OF 400 x. W. or over per month.
This was added TO give large consum-
ers who have paid seven cents the
benefit OF a reduction, as well as small
consumers. 1t is said that only ore or
TWO concerns in the city viii be affect.
ed.
AS adopted the lighting rate will be-;
Up to 299 k. W. monthly, cents;
From 200 to 400 k. W. hours monthly
cents;
400 and over k. W. hours monthly,
6 cents.
The old rate for lighting was u
cents.
The cooking rate was originally rec
commended at cents but as adopted
the schedule calls for four cents per k
W. hour.
The power rate for consumers of 40
horse power and under range froDl 81
cents to cents. The old rate was a
fiat one OF = cedts.
The rate for power users of over 40
b. p. ranges from cents down to
cent. No power bill less than 81 per
month will be furnished and there is
an installation charge per h. p.
The schedule is carefully drawn and
the reductions for quantities usee are
justified by both theory and practice.
The city is TO be congratulated upon
the cheap. electricity for sale. The
rates for power are said to be lower
than the High Falls for installations
under 40 Ii. Z. bnd to be as low on
large installations. All that is lacking
to supply the large consumers is quan-
tity for sale by reason Of which the
city loses few of the largest consum-
ers who cannot be served by the local,
steam generated energy.
The council could not take up the
matter OF deal for the purchase of
the river bank lots and their use by
the Goodrich Transit Co. because ne.
gotiations with the Goodrich people
had not been concluded. The council
went into executive session at the re-
quest of the mayor and nothing was
given out but it is expected that the
matter will be in shape for action at
the regular meeting next Monday ev-
ening.
At recess Attorney E. G. Nash and
Manager Eastman of the local Gas Co.
met the street committee of the council
and asserted that the city's demand
that the company keep on file a bond
OF $4,000 TO secure the city against
loss by operations in the streets by the
company as provided in the company's
original franchise cannot be enforced
because the company long since sur
rendered its franchise and accepted in
lieu thereof an indeterminate permit
under the terms of the Railroad Com.
mission act. Lawyers say that just
what provisions of an old franchise
are carried over TO the indeterminate
permit is not always easy to determine
but they seem to think that the bond
obligation was cancelled by the surren-
der. Anyway there will probably be
no trouble over the matter.