The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1917-10-16
RAISE Att$$EeN ELECTRIC
RATES EXPLAINED
TO COUNCIL; STILL
UNDER THE LIMIT

An otherwise uninteresting meet
ing of the city council last evening
was featured by La G. Worthington,
manager Of the electric company, ad-
dressing the council in explanation
of several details of the raising of
electric rates. 1t had been mention
ed to him. he said that it would have
been considered proper had he ap-
peared before the council before the
rate question was projected, and in
reply Mr.. Worthington courteously
explained that he didn't have to and
saw no reason why he should take
up the councils time. His explana-
tion Of the attitude taken was that
even the raise in rates were under
those allowed by the company's fran
chise and the raise was justified un-
der conditions which he asserted ex-
listed at the present time.
Several questions were asked and
light thrown upon the point in
vOlved.
Light On Lights.
Mr.. Worthington when he arose to
speak, automatically termed the
raise in rates revision" whereat
Alderman Backus drolly calculated
Il suppose downward"
According to Mr.. Worthington, the
new rates will mean an average in
crease in cost of between and IL
per cent. He stated that everything
that entered into the production Of
electricity had greatly advanced. He
referred to the reasons given in an
announcement in the Pioneer and
specially referred to the item where
copped had advanced 100 per cent,
when in reality 1t had advanced
practically 800 per cent.
The Small Consumer,
many of the small consumers Of Be-
midi would be affected by the in
crease and Mr.. Worthington replied
that about 25 per cent. He ampli-
fed the statement by saying Is to
20 per cent would be affected, In the
summer.
Mr.. WorthingtOn. then went on to
explain that some Of their bills were
z, 8, 8, 27 and SO cents per month
and around those figures. He stated
that the company was obliged to
send a man to read the meters on
such bills, return the reading to the
bOokkeeper, when it would be enter
ed, make out bill, buy stamps and
mail bill and then maybe not get
the small sum due. He then took as
an illustration, supposing the bill of
a family was $3.50 in December, the
longest lamp burning month in the
year He stated that being SO, the
company was obliged to maintain
the standard of the plant machinery,
equipment, all the help, etc, for the
rest of the eleven months in the year
for the reason that If the family used
$3.50 worth of electricity in one
month the company had to be pre-
pared to do so every month in the
year for that family for the COM
pany did not know how much cleo
tricity the family would use in any
other month and had no way of
knowing.
Flat Rate" Problem.
In the past there has been the
flat rate" Some families and in
stitutions have been paying so cents
per month for 4O-watt lamp. Mr..
Worthington took this phase up and
explained that he personally knew
of such privilege being abused and
had only to step from the city build
ing to point out various abuses. He
said the people would pay the fiat
rate, say for a single light. If the
light broke there was no manner to
know that the lamp had been re-
placed with, perhaps, 100-watt
lamp or that an electric iron was
being used, and similar instances.
Must Buy Meters.
consumers being obliged to buy a
meter at $3.50. Mr.. Worthington
answered all companies did the same
only it was done in different ways,
and that in case a patron in Bemidji
wanted the meter removed the COM
pany would refund the price paid
for it.
Mayor Vandersluis asked if the
same would apply to an office which
had only a single light in it.
Every place where meter is re-
quired it must be paid for" was the
answer.
Not Hasty Action.
Mr.. WOrthingtO nassured the coun-
Gil the revision of rates had not been
was the result of exhaustive inquiry
and research, that he possessed the
rates of 95 per cent of the cities and
towns using electricity IN Mlnne-
sofa and that Bemidji was much
lower than most of them and Its
policy no different except in two or
three instances in smaller places.
Questions Are Invited.
No one seemed to question the
statements of Mr.. Worthington, nor
was any issue taken with what he
had to say. He invited any questions
and also added in conclusion that If
at any time any one desired to know
what the new rates meant to them
he would be pleased to rave them
call at the office in the Elko build