Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-16
TRACTION COMPANY
GIVES DATA SOUGHT
BY UTILITY BOARD
Board May Today Pass on Com
pany's Request for Right to
Increase Rates.
THE BUSINESS REVIEWED

Having today received from Thomas
W Wilson vice-president and general
manager of the Wilmington II Philadel-
phia Traction Co. additional data asked
Tor In connection with the company s
request for permission to increase rates
the Board Of Public Utility Commission
ers will hold a meeting this afternoon to
act ON the company's request. Mr.. Will
son said I'm his letter to the board:
at is not possible to state just what the
gross cost of power delivered to the rai,-
way department is, because the under
living railway companies own much of
the real estate, buildings freight sidings
and considerable parts OF the generating
eauipment ami therefore contribute, in
addition TO the manufacturing cost, the
use. occupancy and depreciation OF their
property toward the entire operation,
and tins IS the reason for the Interstate
Commerce ruling. To which our auditor
refers Under the foregoing conditions
no fur comparisons can he made between
the cost OF electric power rs generated
and used by the railway department and
the expense of generating and distributing
cicctric current 10 our light and power
customers In units varying from osc-hali
K " 10 5000 k. W. OF capacity.
1 NOuiI FtNIftGiiDiAN t6ii Nbut aAttlA~
fion 10 the fact that the statement Of
operating earnings and expenses of the
Wilmington Il Philadelphia Traction
Co contained in my letter TO YOU Of
February comprises all departments
Of that company and the question Of
Intcrdcp3rtmcnt operations has no bear
ing on the cost oi delivering light and
power service 10 the consumers meters.
~ the light and power department
sells IT'S service delivered TO meters on
the premises of the consumer and not at
the switchboard of the companys s plant,
the cost 10 the switchboard Is only one
IT several itc,us which enter into the
lost 10 tIs 70 give escrvice and consequently
The cost delivered Is the proper basis
for comparison Of all service of this
character.
We wish TO repeat our former state
ment that tho proposed schedule Of rates
j. in accord with the best modern practice
~ rate making and the relations Of the
various rates 20 each other are equitable
and much simpler than our old rates.
In conclusion / would again call your
attention 20 the fact that we have as
suranccs from a number OF the banks IN
Wilmington that they will loan us the
money necessary 10 complete the work
now under way at our plant and make
further extensions, provided we are ahle
through increased rates TO show earnings
sufficient 70 justify them II will be
necessary 70 secure this money promptly
IA order that the work may he continued.
! would, therefore, ask YOU to give your
decision IN this matter at the earliest
possible moment.
STATISTICS FURNISHED.
Accompanying Mr. Wilson's letter is a
statement from Clarence T.. lost, auditor
~ the company. giving the following sta
tistIcs:
No stipulated price Is charged rail
way department for current furnished,
As We are required bv the Interstate Com
mercc Commission TO divide our expenses
propor1ionatelv between the various de-
partments affected The daily average
power required toy railway department
dunng December was $3.50 W h.
The average cost of manufacturing and
delivering power TO the consumer for the
month Of December 1917, was 2.299
cents per k W h This does not include
any interest, taxes, rental or deprecia
ton
Notwithstanding what is apparently a
substantial margin between the manu-
featuring cost and the selling price, In
reality the amount left after paying actual
operating expenses Is only six-tenths of
one cent per kllowatt hour, which is not
sufficient TO pay interest, taxes, rentals,
depreciation and other fixed charges.
While 1t is true that there is difference
IN the rates charged here-as everywhere
else-to the large industrial and COM
mercial consumers and the small con-
sumers. the cost of serving the small
consumers is many times that of serving
the large industrial and commercial con-
sumers.
he number of k. ". h. supplied for
lighting during December was ISL ,347
x. " b and for power purposes :, 2,5O2, PSI
" h.
The gross revenue derived from resi-
dence lighting for December was sl7,
l52 40 and II would have been 81 600
greater If billed at the proposed new
rates
The amount OF current consumed in
street lighting by the city Of Wilmington
during the month of December was S5,-
900 K " h. The contract prices are
as follows
Arc lights, supported on brackets, S63
zach per annum on centre suspensions,
900; on ornamental Magnetic. SS5:
ornamental Market street lights burning
al night, s2l -; burning until midnight,
Sl5.2 30 c. p. incandescents on bracketsk
Slo; on centre suspension, Sl9
The statement also set forth that the
interest and rental charges in October
amounted s53,42824: November. $751;
56o.07; To December, $50 356.07. 1t is also
shown that the first mortgage and collat-
eral trust bonds OF the company amount
20 s. ,206,OOO; car equipment notes,
sl30,0O0; preferred stock, par, $500, 600:
common stock, par, S4,060,0 900.
The statistics given above were sworn
10 IN an affidavit made by Auditor Yost