Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-11-30
LIGHT REDUCTION
OF RATES REFUSED
Continued from Page II

LaUVSm1I0 ana confer WITH the cOttIi-
Gil with regard to matters relating to
operation.
As exclusively stated in the News
Budget, the resolution was passed
unanimously. at the meeting of the
council Wednesday last week. 1t told
the Ladysmith Lighting Company that
it had ten days to answer whether it
would fix rate of cents a kilOwatt
hour for current to the consumer as
the maximum net cost, and a 20 cent
minimum charge as against the dollar
charge in force now and a scale down
to 3 cents to large users of power.
This is taking the question out of the
realm of the indefinite and putting it
into concrete form.
People Will Finally Decide
The whole question with all the in
formation now being secured by the
city council will be put up to a mass
meeting at an early date, the mayor
announced Wednesday. That meeting
will then be called upon, now that it
has more information on the subject
than at the last jOkefest, to say what
it wants done and to be clear about it.
The question will be on the accept
ance of the rate proposed by Mr.. My
ers to the last mass meeting or for an
election on municipal ownership
Two Questions Only
In all this discussion there has been
two big predOminating questions CD
the determination of the city to have a
rate more equitable and in harmony
with the rates of other cities similarly
situated and (2) the guarantee OF
power sufficient to care for the grow
ing needs of the city.
The council passed the original res
Olution to hold an election because
as the News-Budget has stated, there
did not seem to be any effort or desire
on the part of the lighting company
through Mr.. Myers it's owner or the
representative of its owners, to make
satisfactory concessions. But Mr.
Myers asked that time be given him to
confer with the council and see ii a
rate satisfactory to the city could not
be arranged Mr.. Myers conferred"
He made statements which he was to
confirm in writing. "Oh, yes, he would
submit d satisfactory rate" He
finally did submit the rate 1t was
presented at the mass meeting. Moth
ing happened. 1t was far from salts
factory 1t was loaded. In fact it had
a connected load.
Ultimatum is the Result
Now while it has been inyestigat-
ing, the council has gone to the com
pany and said in acts of not so many
words I'VE are tired of this play
Get busy. Give the city of Ladysmith
a lighting rate that will make it pos
sible to compete with her neighbOrs on
an equal footing. Do not try to muddy
the water with lot of things that
have no bearing on the question
Never mind arguing about the question
of municipal ownership. The people
of the city will take care of that when
it comes to showdown. Ten days to
answer. Mail trains are running
Yours Truly"
And Mr.. Myers promptly answered.
NO.
1t is squarely up to the people.
The News-Budget's Position
In the meantime new facts and
figures are being developed every day
as to various angles of the question
Whenever there is any news i'll the
situation read the NewS-Budget for
it. 1t is to be regretted that the neigh
Dor UP the street did not print the
II N
with it's continued trailing on the
question. from the beginning. The
News Budget does not have to ask the
attorney for the lighting company or
any other person when either to print
the news or what position to take.
The News-Budget is sorry it cannot
please its neighbOr up the street. 1t
does not propose to even try. 1t is not
warped or biased by ancient grudges
or lOng-nursed enmity to local bus
mess men, which i'll the case OF the
Journal. has become an ObSeSSlOn. SO
as in this matter, representing the
lighting company as well as its own
quarrelSOme fault-finding, rOily mlnd,
the Journal as a factor can be dis
missed in so far as the NewsBudget
is concerned. with these recorded eX-
presSions of opinion which are gem
orally shared by the public.
Lower Rates Must Come :
The News-Budget is constructive in
its policy not destructive This pa
per will be perfectly satisfied if it has
contributed in any way to the final re-
suit of lower lighting and power
rate, and to securing for the little, as
well as the big user. current at an
equitable rate. If that rate is to come
by the act of the present company, well
and good, if not, and the company still
insists that no rate other than the one
presented at the last mass meeting be
conceded, then the News-Budget is for
municipal ownership.
The News Budget has enough faith
in mankind to believe that in this
city of 5000 people there are men who
can conduct the lighting plant just as
well as the present company, and If