The Little River news., 1919-12-06
LIGHT COMPANY HEARING
 HELD HERE THURSDAY
Final Hearing Before Corporation Commission Set for Dec. 233 233.-
 Co. Admits Inadequate Power.

A hearing of the case of the City of Ashdown against the Commonwealth Public Service Company of this city was had at the court houst at this place Thursday morning before Herbert Wilson of the State Corporation Com mission. MT. Wilson was accompanied by the commission engineer and re-
 porter. This action was brought against the company to cause them to improve their light and power plant in order to give tho city an adequate ser vice.. After quite number of witness es were heard relative to the kind of service the company was rendering along with testimony of experts, the sitting was adjourned to meet at Little Rock December 22 for the final hear ing The Public Service Company's attorney stated that their bookkeeper, who must furnish certain date, was ill and for that reason asked for a post 
 sion left for DeQueen to hear like complaint from the city there against the Commonwealth Public Service Co. MT. Wilson ordered that the company file with his office a daily report of operations and all Interruptions of the plant here until further orders, the re- ports to be sent in weekly.
 H. H. White, of Muskogee, consulting engineer of the company, was the only witness introduced by them. He freely admitted that the plant here had not sufficient power. Said anyone would know that He told of their troubles at DeQueen, where for more than a year they had been trying to install a steam turbine, founds parts missing and had been unable to get them. Later put in another engine, and after many delays were ready to give up the 130 horse power oil engne, which they would have installed here in ten days.
 Abe Collins, attorney for DeQueen, was present and stated that they had been fed on promises there that all would be we'll from now on for more than a year That this oil engine was all they had to fall back on and would resist most streniously to it's being re- moved until the company had really made good with something else. He asked that no steps be taken to re- move it until the final order of the MT. Wilson stated that his engineer would visit the plant and report on situation at DeQueen before any orders would be issued allowing the engine to be moved to AshdOwn He could not favor one town at the ex- pense of the other.
 w. H. Alerander, formal local mana ger, testified to the lack of power at the Ashdown plant and told of all con ditions within his knowledge Other by which the city proved the service were, o. Leslie, CT. Bowles, Fred Graves, H. B. Wilson and M. J. Attaway
 E. B. Murphey, engineer for the state Bureau, was the principal witness for the city His testimony was technical. He said the company lacked 40 k. W power to meet under
 writers requirements when pulling the peak lead in case of fire, and with off load lacked 23 k W. He said as a result the city business property had a 5 cent charge against it on insurance rate He also said the city plant had points against it to keep it from reach ing the ideal standard, but that if the city had all the water in the Missis- sippi river at it's disposal it would not alter the fact that the light company was deficient in power.
 It would seem that since the light company sets up no claim as to now having sufficient power that their only stand will be for time.