The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-02-04
MOSCOW MAY INSTALL ITS
OWN ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT

| to raise rates on certain lines in Mos
COW has been filed with the public
utilities commission and will become
effective on February 20, unless pro-
tested by the City of Moscow. The
protest will be made. The question
came up at last nights session of the
city council when M. c.. Osborn, COM
mercial agent for the Washington
Water Power company met with the
city council to discuss the proposed
increase in the rate charged for pump
ing and power in Moscow.
The city has contract with the
Washington Water Power company
for city lights. 1t is now getting III
street lights of 100 candle power for
$2.25 per month and the contract for
these does not expire until December,
1920. But there is no contract for
power for the pumping station. The
records show that in 1914 a verbal
agreement was made whereby Mos
cow was granted the same rate as
Pullman-one cent per kilowat hour
for the pumping plant. The rate
had been three cents per kllowat hour.
The proposal now is to raise it to two
cents, which would be an increase of
100 per cent.
The city may decide to install an
electric light plant of it's own and a
committee consisting of Councilmen
Nisbet and Richardson was appointed
last night to take the matter up and
ascertain the probable cost and prob
able income of such plant. Mr.. Mis-
bet said that the city is now paying
about $17OO per year for pumping
power and the proposed increase
would make this about $4,000 per year.
Warren Truitt, mayor of Moscow,
stated that the city will protest the
proposed increase in rates and that
City Attorney George G. Pickett has
been instructed to prepare the pro-
test which will be filed with the public
utilities commission. The filing of
the protest will automatically stop
the proposed increase which would
otherwise go into effect on February
20, and will call for hearing, when
evidence will be submitted by both
sides and the commission will accept
or reject the application upon the evil
dence shown. Z
M. C. Osborn, commercial agent for
the Washington Water Power COM
pany, said: "Our company submitted
a statement of the proposed schedule
before the public untilities commits
sion at Boise, which will become eff
fective on February 20, unless pro-
tested by the city of Moscow. The
residential and cooking
schedule is practical reduction. The
commercial lighting rate is unchanged
and both rates are the same style of
rates in force in all towns in the state
of Washington, but Moscow gets
lower rate than many Washington
towns, the maximum being IL cents
per l1ilowat hour in Mascow as against
13 in Pullman and Coflax. This power
rate is also a reduction of our present
schedule. The proposed schedule %
is decided reduction as compared
with schedule G, now in force.
Certain power consumers who have
enjoyed rate made to them by the
late NJ ]. Shields, former owner of
the plant which were very discrim
inatory and Improbable to the COM
pany, will be asked to pay higher
rate Since the Washington Water
Water Power company took the prop
erty on January 1. 1918, the minimum
bill has been reduced from S1.25 to 81
and the maximum kilowat hour charge
from Is to 121a cents. The rate for
pumping was reduced ap-
so per cent. The COM
pany is now asking the utilities COM
mission to grant the same rate in Mos
cow charged for municipal pumping
in other towns, the rate having been
recently granted by the Washington
Public Service commission for all
towns served in Washington by this
there being about 80 towns
in number and hearings were held in
all and the rates asked for were
granted
every rate in the proposed sched-
lle is a reduction from that charged
n all other places, but some special
rates granted by the late M. j. Shields
'or power which had never been dis
urbed are corrected in the new rate
asked for
Mr. Osborn gave some interesting
igures on the amount of business
lone, capital invested and returns re-
,eived from the Moscow plant of his
company. He claims the investment
lere is approximately S450,00O and
hat in 1917 the company delivered to
he substation here 1,946,S00 kilowat
hours of electric power upon which
he revenue was $52,S25. This yield
ID the company an average of .0272
,er kilowat hour with a maximum
Iemand of 769 horse power which gave
he company a revenue of $3020 per
lorse power per annum. This is the
owest rate per horse power given
O any town in the Palouse country
nd is occasioned by the large amount
t power used in the flour mill here.
Investigations show that the more
ower used means lower rate per-
lorse power on the average"
Mr.. Pickett, city attorney, began
oday the preparation of the answer
nd protest against the proposed rate
which will be filed with the public
tilities commission Mr.. Osborn left
oday for Pullman for consultation
With the company's local manager
here and will go to Spokane this
vening. The date of the hearing and
lace of holding it will be announced
v the commission later. 1t will prob
bly, be held in Moscow.