Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-04

with the eszzrzE1ar uf the service
wniEh the cmmEmng w1E giving on the
9nazixF IT the px1dzrt suaa. II the
cumpanv il ID cunr1rnH renaersr=
Iha1 kind af service il II To be ex-
persHa tha1 \ fair return apsa the
capsraa Actually invested VIII be dr-
naznded TkIs 10 sat FAIR "a faae
company and 70 IEs cusrzrnerx rs
regHarH the cuzupanT 70 sr business
f0r bare operating expenses or = "a
tn more waA inevitably ras,.ss n
takts--lcra1lun Of the service --ersrr-ess
and any addz1lon thereto VIII dis
courage any aE7RmpI 10 increase tie
Veiazne az lis business ana most as
sE-ec.g WIZ prevent me ru-5a--
E'urn securing IhR necessary cszst-l
n properly carry On lis business.
There e nothing whach III x-Ezx
feCa4 uses today bG- what has II
creased IN price 1nr.nE tae past +---
or Three years anywhere E1-u,r "a re-
cez2~ 70. IN semc Instances. 100 BE.
Cent The cost Ct overriding ws.ir-s
enters INTO the product which +gass
company Is manufacturing and dis
lr1Rso--ag has increased
we hoped when we issued cur or
Ger LIST year that the increase there
granted would be sRfHcierI. The
eR1ottlce presented ID rs n the recent
nearing 1nGica1as that We Gid not
/ Wllh accuracy forecast the future. II
Is useless TO ira5uf.e IN axrrass,e,s af
/ rEsree over the Increase II the cost
OF living The condition Is wsrIl
vice and there does NOT seem To be
Hrg pres11ecc q immediate relief.
-n4s cumpaEy must Il = continues
= &C 5ustnsEs. -ecEivs through rs
ra1ss 4 sufficient amount Of rererre
70 enanie = % property and e.icien.-
T. ane a. sume profit. crnaact is
business
The figures presented % IN. and
Wnacn We nave verified. shsw that
11r the 1-s- Eve months OF 1919 i
cost lie company SIS per 1gD8 cubic
1esI Tor eaca -10e cubic feat so.d 10
lis customers. This being SO. L
needs no argument N support of the
proposition -aat q margin Ct TWO
CENTS per 1000 cubic feet IN the net
PRICE collected fur gas Is not sun
clent Al s1.sa per 1000 cubic feet
the neT amount OF the present pre-
posed Increase and with the amount
uT business which the company may
be reasonably expected To transact.
the gross amount avallaAEs far IL
raresT and return On capital VIII be
considerably less than the amount
received n either 1919. 1918 or 1877,
Under ne osd rates.
IlRdmacn as the commission a
year ago suspended the schedule
proposed a. -aat time and Issued is
order al the conclusion Of the heir
lng. Section - of Chapter SIS Of the
Revised StaOCtes makes L necessary
for the company ID SECURE the ap-
prevail OF The commission before il
can make airy change II the schedule
Of rates fled II accordance with CUR
order The presen. matter arises N
consequence Of 4 request On the part
Of the company for permission ID put
iuro effect On August = 1919. q new
seneGule Of rates under which II may
charge s. per 1909 cubic feet for gas.
with a discount Of 10 cents per 1000
1Ur prompt payment
With reference ID any other or
different schedule Of rates for large
G0nsunars- we DO not n this time
pass upon the matter. The craas-
u-er of the cnrpany and n represent
ave nf the Ksnaabec Journa1 COM
paGg have Euns over the matter
somewhat win members CT this COM
mission and Z Is suggested bE the
company that within the next 80
days d careful study of the si-uauon
viii be made a tentative schedule
made up and submitted with the idea
II mind that # L seems finally rea-
SOnable and possible 10 establish a
somewhat lower rare for large con-
sUmers and sucr lower rate does not
either inpC-n or create q burden
upon the COMPANY and tt,us result N
either still further loss 70 the one or
raise In the rates If the other, sucn
schedule viii be presented tnr ap-
prevail and N tnat tine We VIII pass
UPON the matter
Mr. and Mrs. {. T. Bliodeaa and
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