Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-21

The public utilities Saturday render
cd a decision in the case of Margaret
NJ Hines and others against the Lew
iSton Gas Light CO.. alleging eXces-
SiVe rates dismiSSing the complaint.
The decision says in part:
Gas sold at Sl.29 per thousand cubic
feet. the average price received BY the
Lewiston Gas Light Co. would have
nnttcd til" company 10 more in Octo-
her. 1917, when the final briefs We're fill
"a with the Public Utilities Commls-
s'or. in the investigation which mas
b>en going on for two years. no more
han S1G1Gl per thousand cubic feet
would have netted in the year ending
June 80 1916. The cost OF manufacture
and distribution in 1861 was lila
cents per thousand more than in I'D
lG and the higher cost of oil alone
viii add TO- cents per thousand Tor
tho .mrcnt year over that of 19l6-l'.
considering the cost of manufac-
ttr" in 1901 and adding the lncreas-
ID cost of coal as it existed at the time
cf tie hearing last June and the eN-
ma cost of OIL offsettirg all othe" ADD
ell costs of labor. supplies and mate
r'als against possible economies OF OPP
Grafton. the operating expense during
The present year will be s1.o321 pes
thousand feet, and if the output is in
creased Is million feet-to 100 million
the company would earn about per
cont on the present value of its prop
erty.
The rates charged by the Lewiston
Gas Light Co. are not now excessive
q
but whenever operating costs return ~
a condition-Where these rates Het
more than : per cent. on the value VI
the plant a reduction ought to pe mace
The complaint was filed Jan. 81 1870
The commission ordered the company
to file its valuation May 20. 1916. ana
the COMPLIMENTS to make their reply
on or before Oct. ], 1916. The time was
twice extended for the complalhaii'S'
and their reply was filed March ~ III I
The public hearings occupied -
DAYS in Lewiston beginning June
1917. and three days at tho court hoHse
IN \ub,,rn beginning July 10. f1nal aF'
cumcnts were filed Sept. 10 ana ott
>, 1917.
The con,plaInants were represented
bv Hon. ". +. Pattangall and Hefbefl
T. Locke of Augusta. and eX-MaEoi
T. !. Brann of lewiston; the respon'
dent by Charles b. Carter or the hrm
Of White & Carter.
Tho tvpewritten record Of the testi-
noonv and oral arguments covers e6'
,aecs and the romplainants filed I'VE
rxhihits consisting Of iS6 pages of type
WRITTEN figures. The company also filed
many exhibits
The complainants employed Mr.. A.
ton d. Adams Of Natick. Mass, pub
lie service engineer. as an expert. ] ne
RESPONDENT had Weston NJ. Hicks OF
Portland civil engineer. Waiter a.
SAWYER of Lewiston, hydraulic engi-
neer. and Herman NJ. Stein OF New
York. accountant and financial inves'
tigator. as experts and called Haroio
I. Bell of Portland and clifford T.
Page of Maiden. Mass. as supporting
witnesses Messrs. Hicks and Adams
prepared the inverfories.
Governor Miniken Saturday made the
following nominations;
Agen, for the protection of childreii-
Mrs. Mary s Burnham. Portland.
Stenographic commissioner-Fred W,
Lee. Augusta.
To administer oaths. acknowledge Deeds
and solemnize marrages-Mary F. Muity,
Bangor Bangor & Aroostook F. R-l.
Public mnistrator-Raymond W. Eel
lows. Bangor.
Notary puhlic-Samuel Pfefter, Portland
Herman L. slower. Brunswick: William r.
Weber, Portland tFirst National Bankli
Charles b. Paine. Augusta; e. H. Bart