The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1919-05-23
insert PROBE IN
LIGHT QUESTION
STATE CORPORATION COMMIS-
SION MEETS HERE AND
TAKES TESTIMONY ON POOR
SERVICE RENDERED.

Walter G.. Brashear, Thos. T..
Wood and Herbert Wilson, consti-
tuting the newly created corpora
tion commission having jurisdiction
over all public utilities in the state,
held an all-day session at the court
house here on Tuesday of this week
conducting an investigation on o
formal complaint filed with the COM
mission by the city authorities on
the unsatisfactory and wholly made
quate service furnished patrons by
the Arkansas Light and Power Com
pany. City Attorney D. S. Plummer
represented the city, while attorney
Hamilton Moses, of Pine Bluff, APP
peared for the company. T. w.
Campbell, attorney for the commits
sion, was present, as were also L.
w. Helmreich, engineer for the CONF
mission, J. L. Longino, secretary OF
the light and power COZ" ANY, and
the engineer Of the company.
The formal complaint alleges that
the plant is in bad condition, that
the company has permitted the prop
erty to run down, that incompetent
men have been placed in charge OF
it, that the distribution system is In
such a condition as to be dangerous
to the public, that for four years
the officials of the company have
been promising to make improve
ments, none of which promises have
been carried out, that business and
commercial institutions depending
upon the company for light and
power have suffered heavy losses
because of poor service. The COM
plant asks the commission to make
the necessary orders compelling the
company to live up to its contract,
or revoke it's charter and permit
other parties to construct plant
here.
Many citizens were summoned to
give testimony against the company
and to tell of the deplorable con-
dition of the plant. The evidence
was so overwhelming that in spite
of the pleas of the company's ofiic-
ials for the exercise of more pa
tience upon the part of the patrons,
the commission can hardly do other
wise than order improvements made
in the plant or revoke the franchise.
The Attorney of the company ad-
mitted the service had been bad,
but contended it was not the fault
of the company; that it had expend-
ed large sums of money in improve
ments, that it was sustaining loss
bn the business here and that it was
manifestly unfair to compel the COM
pany to make other expenditures
here without raise in the rates.
The evidence showed, however,
the company had shipped some Sec
ond hand machinery here, that it
was badly installed, that through
cheap and incompetent help and the
refusal of the company's officials to
honor acquisitions for needed repairs
the plant had deteriorated to point
where it is little better than pile
of junk, that because of worn out
boilers and unskilled firemen the
consumption of coal was almost
double what it should be and it was
contended the company's loss here
was due to its own folly and expen-
sive method of operating the plant
rather than to an inadequate scale
of rates or to lack Of patronage.
All the testimony was made mat
tire of record and as soon as the
commission has time to look over
the evidence it is expected some
action will be taken. If the COM
mission orders the company to make
improvements it is by no means
certain the order will be carried out.
Under the law the company has the
right of appeal to the circuit court
and then to the supreme court. The
patrons do not expect to get any
permanent relief as long as the
Arkansas Light and Power Company
operates the plant here.