Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-27
NO CHANCE.IN
GAS RATES TO
Be MADE SOON
Accountants Report is Filed
Today with Grand Forks
City Auditor.

A step forward in the investigation
of the Red River Power company's
gas n electricity rates was AXE
today when the report made by engi-
neers and accountants employed by
the attorney general of North Dakota
was filed in the Office of the city au-
ditor here.
A salient feature in connection with
the report is the apparent fact that
relief from the surcharge burden is
not in sight Immediately; because of
the impossibility of having the mat
ter definitely settled, it looks as
though consumers must pay the ad-
ditional rates for another year
The principal figures given in the
report correspond very closely to
those given in the report submitted
by the special council committee ap-
pointed by Mayor J. A. Dinnie on
December II, 1917. 1t was upon the
basis of his committees report that
the board of railroad commissioners
was asked to investigate the rates.
Attention was called today to the
fact that the rates fixed by the rail-
road commission remain effective for
a period of five years. There is, how
ever, nothing hat restricts the legis-
lature from changing this law, and it
was learned this afternoon that w. S.
Whitman, who was recently elected
a member of the state senate, intends
to introduce a comprehensive public
utility bill, which, if adopted. will
bring about a number of radical
changes of benefit to the public in
general. Mr.. Whitman has as alder
mar taken prominent part in much
of the council work intended to reg
ulate the relations between corpora
tons and the taxpayers.
In the committee report submitted
to the council On February II, 1918,
s per cent interest was suggested as
a not unreasonable return on the APP
proximate valuation of the plant
then given.
The report Of Hagenah and Erick-
son sets forth that the return IN the
investment for the yea 1917 was a
trifle less than 6.1S per cent; it is
thought that the interest rate of s
per ent would not be too high in
view of the fact that a public utility
corporation cannot borrow money on
the same terms as the United States
government, and cannot sell bonds at
less than 7per cent.
The Red River Power company
surcharge report Of Hagenah and
Erickson, the engineers and &C
countants employed by the attorney
generals office, was filed today with
IAAo ~ ouuASoAs W. - ~AAOAo4ANSA ,
and it is interesting to note that it
took eight months after the proceed
ings we're started to obtain this re-
port, the complaint having bee made
by the city council to the railroad
commissioners and taken charge of
by the attorney general on March 2,
1918.
This delay will be expensive to the
people, officials here said today; if
the case had been handled promptly
by the attorney generals office, a de-
cision ought to have been obtained
from the supreme court before this
time: as it is the railroad commits
sioners probably will not render their
decision until after January l if, in
deed, the hearing can be brought on
before that time and it will be i'm
possible to get a decision from the SUI
preme court before next season SO
that the consumers here must pay
the additional rates another year.
The expense of obtaining these re-
ports amounting to 1925, has also
been laid upon the taxpayers Of the
city, it being plain that the last ses-
sion of the legislature had failed to
appropriate sufficient money for this
purpose, although ample funds were
provided to investigate railroad rates
for shippers and others while in the