The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-10-11
SAY FUEL COSTS TOO MUCH
Company's Appeal is for Reimbursement
CT Rates for Racine and Kenosha--
Says There is No Discrimination
Against Cities In Rates.

The Wisconsin Gas and Electric Com.
pany wants an increase in the rates for
gas supplied to Racine and Kenosha
and the demand for such an increase
is part of an answer to the old COM
plant Of the city of Kenosha now
pending before the railroad commits
sion. The answer of the company has
just been made public. In concluding
the answer the company says:
Wherefore, respondent prays,
That the original petition herein
be dismissed
That it may be determined that q
situation exists with respect to re-
spondent Is gas utility in the cities of
| Racine and Kenosha which warrants
an immediate revision of the rates ap-
plicable to the service furnished there
/ by so that the. respondent may be
enabled to meet the increased cost of
fuel and that an ad interim order grant
/ ing such relief be entered herein.
1t is certain that the two cities will
insist on being heard before any final
order is entered on the request of the
company. The quality of the gas sup
piled in Kenosha is better than at
some periods Of the year, but there
are still complaints against it and the
people will undoubtedly insist on bet
ter service if any change is to be
made in the rates.
The answer of the company is based
largely on the Kenosha petition and
the company declares that handicaps
ON the business in Kenosha have been
such that it has been forced to carry
a large burden.
The respondent alleges that the only
lack of uniformity in it's electric rates
has resulted from the fact that it has
acquired the business and customers Of
the Kenosha Electric Railway Com
pany and the Kenosha Gas and Elec-
trio Company, both electric utilities
heretofore operating in the city of Ke-
nosha under differing schedules of
rates; that the electric rates Of said
predecessor utilities were reviewed by
the railroad commission of Wisconsin;
! respondent to take on new customers
at its regular rates but certain of the
customers of the Kenosha Electric
! Railway Company have been continued
at the old rates of said company; that
the respondent is ready and willing to
| furnish all of the customers at it's
regular filed rates; that to . accom-
plish uniformity the old rates of the
Kenosha Electric Railway Company
should be discontinued.
The respondent denies that its 3lec-
trio lighting and power rates are OK
cessive; and in that behalf it alleges
that its said rates are inadequate to
meet the cost of service and that by
reason Of an increase of about one
hundred per cent in the cost of fuel
and large increases in cost of labor
and other supplies, if any change is to
be made in said electric rates, they
should be substantially increased.
The respondent denies that it's gas
rates in Kenosha are discriminatory as
compared with its gas rate in Racine,
and, in that respect alleges that there
exists in the city of Racine substan-
TALLY greater density of business per
mile Of main than in the city of Ke-
nosha; that on the basis of cost of
service the comparative density Of
business per mile of main in said re-
spective cities and a due regard to the
cost of constructing maintaining and
! operating the high pressure transmits
sion line by which gas is supplied to
] Kenosha from the common producing
plant located at Racine, require that
a rate be charged in the city of Keno
sha sufficiently greater than the Racine
rate to compensate the respondent for
such increased cost of service.
/ Further answering the original pc
tition and by way of cross petition
respondent alleges that since the war
1916, the cost of fuel used for the pro-
duction of gas in the cities of Racine
| and Kenosha, has increased over one
hundred per cent; that by reason
thereof and in consequence of other
increased costs Of operation the re-
spondent S revenues have now reached
a point where it is no longer earning
a margin in excess of its fixed charges,
| if dividends upon its seven per cent
preferred stock be treated as fixed
charge; that an immediate revision of
its gas rates in both the cities of Ra-
cine and Kenosha is necessary in order
Of fuel used for such gas service; that
to meet such increase the rate for gas
service in both of said communities
lshould be amended by the inclusion of