The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-28
CRY DECLINES
TO ACT IN RATE
PROBE DEMAND
Commission Refers Petitions Back
to signcrs for Clearer State
n1ent Of Factors
YOUNG CHARGES POLITICS

Declares Effort Is Made to Max
Council CatspaY Brennan
Sees Discrimination
After heated argument between
Attorney G. i. Young, representa-!
the Hughes Electric Co., and Asslstan
Attorney General Daniel v. Brennan
representing some 237 Bismarck PEG
ple who had filed petitions requesting
that the commission refer capital cit!
electric light aud power and heating
rates to the railway commission fo1
q review, the city commission Wed
nesday evening, by,a vote of three tt
two, declined to act on the petitions
presented on the grounds that the,
did not properly state the facts.
"An impossible situation is alleged
here, said Commissioners Kirk in ex
planning his vote on the petitions
Anyone who knows anything at al
about electricity knows that the cost
of current cannot be Increased by de
fcient voltage. Had these petitions
come in here charging that discrimi
nation In rates exists, as has been al
legged orally by Mr.. Brennan, ! would
have been in favor Of acting on them
Commissioner Best's motion that
the railway commission be called up
on to review the rate situation was
seconded by Commissioner Thompson
but before the motion was put Com
missioner Bertsch offered a substitute
referring the petitions back to their
signers "because the facts were not
properly stated" Kirk seconded. On
roll.call Kirk, Bertsch and Lucas vot.
ed aye and Best and Thompson no.
Petitioners Withdraw.
When the subject first came up for
discussion, the city auditor presented
a counter petition from Il. B. Klein
and 80 others asking that their names
be withdrawn from the original petit
ton, which they stated, they signed
under misrepresentation of the facts.
Individual petitions of similar ma
ture were received from two other
sources. e.
r. l.. Walton, by letter, advised that
he had declined to sign the petitions,
and that if his name appeared there
it was forgery and he insisted that
1t be withdrawn. G. M Dahl stated
that he depended upon his own heat
ing plant and that he was not we'll
enough informed on light and power
rates to act in the matter. He asked
that his name be withdrawn. c. NJ.
Langum, president Of the Bismarck
Business College, wrote that he was
thoroughly satisfied with the service,
believed the Hughes Electric Co., en-
titled to an advance in rates, and ask
ed that his name be withdrawn from
the petitions. Harry Allen, by letter,
notified the commission that if his
name appeared on the petitions it was
a fraud that he had been asked to
sign and refused, and that he insisted
that his name be withdrawn.
Young Raps LANCER.
Speaking for the Hughes Electric
Co., C.sL. Young said that Of the 237
name appearing on, the petitions many
clearly were not electors. Referring
to the shorter of the two petitions,
which contained SO names, he express.
ed surprise in finding thereon names
Of men "whom our attorney general
very recently, when these men petit
toned Tor grand jury, characterized
so eloquently as blind-piggers, jail
birds and worse. am surprised that
he should resort to such men to obtain
relief for the good citizens of Bis
marck," said Young. He further re-.
ferred to the merAslngled out by the
attorney general as "denizens of the
under world, q disgrace to the city;
blind.piggers, bootleggers, and, at
least one. now under suspended SEN
tence." "Of the IS names on that pc.
tition," he continued, at least 40 are
not consumers. What business has q
gambler who sponges light paid for
by some one else, to sign this peti-
tom" demanded the attorney.
OF the whole number Of petitioners,
Young declared SO were not consum'
ers; that a number were not electors,
and thatsa number of others were not
known Thirty.six who were known,
he stated, had withdrawn their names
He insisted that under the statute, II
It be interpreted as the attorney gem
eral evidently intended in drawing
these petitions, that 20 percent Of the
qualified electors must sign the petit
lions, and he declared that they did
not contain 20 percent. :j 81
.Whoever drew this petition had no
knowledge of the measurement of cleo
trio current" said the attorney, who
proceeded to explain how so many
volts multiplied by so many amperes
produced so many watts. The peti-
ton in this respect is absurd" said
Young, and the same term applies to
what Is said Of steam.
"Poiitics Back Of It,"
Back of all this is politics-an at
tempt to make the city commission q
catspaw to satisfy the political spite
of one or two citizens" said the at
torney, in conclusion. @.s RS.
Commissioner Best,s motion that
the Hughes Electric Co., be caused to
appear before the railway commission
to- explain its rates pfecipitated fur.
Their discussion but earned no second
at this iqncture in the proceedings.
Discrimination Charged.
Assistant Attorney General Brennan
in speaking on behalf Of the petition,
insisted that the question of 20 per-
cent Of the legal electors, more or
less. being renresentefls on the petit,