The Lamar register., 1919-03-12
SWEEPING VICTORY FOR CITY
Every Claim of Lamar Citizens Upheld
by the Commissioners and City
Authorized to Proceed in
Bond Election.

Last Friday afternoon the members
of the state utilities commission act
ed on the petition of Attorneys Hill
yer & Kinkaid and w. f. Fee for the
City of Lamar asking permission to
proceed with the election to vote bonds
for an electric light plant and ordered
a sweeping decision in favor of the
city. They decided that ever COM
plant the citizens had made of poor
service and mismanagement had been
sustained by the evidence, and that
the city of Lamar had the right to
proceed with the election to vote bonds
for a plant of their own.
Every citizen should carefully read
the decision printed here as n careful
peiusal will show that everything for
which we have been contending for
the past few years is now within
reach If we vote favorably on the two
questions of building a municipal plant
and the $4,000 bond issue. However,
should either of these propositions fail
we will not only be back where we
started from but worse off. as the
Intermountain company can do with
us as it pleases and the utilities COM
mission will not give the people an
other chance IL they decide now they
are satisfied with conditions which
convinced the commission itself that
the Intermountain was unable to rend-
er satisfactory. The taxpayers and
light and power users should particu-
larly read those portions which say
that further orders in the matter will
await the BOND ELECTION, and the
quotation from the decision of the
California commission wherein it is
shown that the certificate of necessity
permits the city if it so desires to
either build its own plant or make
contract with other parties if that
shall prove more advantageous.
There has been talk by some tax
payers that it is wrong to absolutely
destroy the value of the property of
the Intermountain company, and that
they are in better position than any
others to give us quick improvement
in service. We do not desire to see
their property destroyed il they show
any real good faith. Lamar. however.
can no longer be satisfied with either
fair promises or good intentions. We
need service and at reasonable rates.
II the Intermountain has any inten-
tions along that line let them make
definite statement accompanied by n
$4,000 bond to show good faith, and
they will receive serious consideration
from our people.
The decision of the commission was
unanimous, Mr.. Halderman, the hold
over member joining with Messrs. Will
liams and Anderson, the new members,
in granting the petition of our citizens.
The decision recites the petition of the
citizens and the proceedings which led
up to the hearing recently held here
and then proceeds as follows:
Pursuant to notice duly given to the
city and the Intermountain Company
this cause came on for hearing in the
council chamber in the city of Lamar
on February 25th and 26ths hs1919. The
city produced numerous witnesses to
sustain the allegations of the petition
and proved that the electric service
for lighting and power purposes has
been very poor for several months
past; that failures of the plant came
at the time Of the heaviest load, fire.
auently during the past winter; that
during the month of January, 1919,
the service was at its worst; that there
were constant complaints as to the
service; that while all service in the
city is required by the Commission to
be metered, there are seventy-five or
eighty consumers who have no meters;