The Lamar register., 1918-07-31
LAMAR PEOPLE GET A
LOOK-THAT'S ALL
Public Utilities Commission Allow 5
Our Citizens Opportunity to See
How It's Done.

Colorado allowed tHelr tram 10 Dc
tagged at Lamar on Monday just long
enough SO the people could hear what
the officials of the Intermountain Rail
way, Light & Power Co. had to say
about Lamar, but had no spare time
to hear what our people think about
the company and its rotten service ut
cxhorbitane prices. They came with all
kinds of data prepared by their eN-
pert to help the company but any
thing our people have to say can be
put into the record any time in the
future. They will reserve their judg-
ment until this record is completed and
Even at that the testimony of the
friends of the corporation wass-very
interesting in spots, especially that OF
Manager van Diest, who gave as the
reason for the high cost of electricity
in Lamar that so much of it escaped
in the trees. Ever since we first
heard of kilowats we thought they
must be some sort of an animal and
it is evident that they must belong to
the monkey tribe to have such fond
ness for roaming in the trees. Garden
City has more trees than Lamar and
sells kilowats at half the price, but
perhaps they have trained theirs so
they are not of such a vagrant dis
position. He also complained that the
shortage of labor had become so dis
tressing that he had to pay engineers
as much as Ss5 month. Think of il
he ought to have to employ few
printers or other real mechanics. He
said he had to pay the superintendent
of his plant 500 per month. Help
Wonder what he psid before the war
prices prevailed. He said the actual
value of the company's plant was
$3.50. 900, but offered no explanation
of his swearing to the assessor that
the valuation was less than half that.
The so-called expert of the commission
then went on the stand and gave some
Testimony that was almost as interest
ing as the tree escapement-or tale oil
the vanishing electricity. Mr.. Herbert,
although claiming to be an expert
said il was impossible to tell just what
part of the $4,000 additions TO the
plant last year were made out of the
revenues of the company collected
from its patrons, but he had just split
the difference with them, called IT sle,-
900, and so figured a yearly loss o1
81, ,OOO,-we are giving the figures H.
round numbers This was too much
for even one of the commissioners and
he asked if the books ought not 10
show these facts, but Mr.. Herbert
kindly explained that there are two
ways of keeping those entries-one was
open and showed everything, while the
other hid it all-and either were per
missible for public utility corpora
tions. In fact when Mr.. Herbert got
through one wondered if some mis-
take had not been made as to who
was employing him. He then introduc-
ed his report and when the attorneys
for the city, Judge Hillycr and Judge
Fee, announced that they would have
to look over the figures before they
could cross examine him they were
told they could have a copy by paying
for making it up. Any other tcsti-
mony they wanted to introduce could
be taken later and submitted to go in
the record.
There was quite a large number OF
Lamar citizens present at the opening
of the session, but the cooked and
primed appearance of the proceedings
and the character of the testimony
soon caused them to thin out until at
the finish only few were left Our
snake editor was present and after the
vanishing juice story was told reliev-
cd himself of the following:
When the gentle breczes
Blow through the treeses
1t most generally squeezcs
The juice off the wires.
When the darkening gloom
Settles Ger the room
We all cuss and doom
The utility liars.
ANY one who has had experience
.-s.L 81. ,-attav sarvica of the loral