New Britain herald., 1920-01-21
MUCH ADO ABOUT
 NOTHING, CHARGE
Lighting Company Thinks Mayor
 Has 0VerStated Cases

The Connecticut Lisht and Power of changed lighting rates will be brought before the common council by the mayor at tohight's meeting. have addressed all open letter to the mayor and the council members set ting forth their position. Taking 8 slap 1t the mayor himself who. the company infimatcs is causing most Of the adverse comment. the letter sta tcs that although he was requested to forward all com plaints to the office, to date but three have been received In conclusion the letter printed here with, essays to explain ill full the com panys views:
 To His Honor. the Mayor and Eenl-
 bers of the Common Council of
 the City Of New Britain.
 "Gentlemen:
 We understand that at your meet ing to be held on January 21st con- Sidera llon is 10 be given to the new form of lighting rates of this conl- DanN. We therefore think it is prop
 
 laid before you for your consideration
 Tt has heen stated that twenty three per cent. or approximately two thousand customers of the company ill your city have paid only six dol lars for service under the old rates. This statement is so erroneous that it should Dc corrected. A careful eX- animation of our books discloses the fact that there arc OI,lN thirty-five customers. who, under the old rates have paid only six dollars year for service. this number being less than onc-hl1f of one per cent. of the total nnm5e" of customers served by US n your city. IL goes without saving that any customer who is paving as little as six dollars per year is pay ing less than his service costs and the deficit must be paid by other custom CTS. It therefore would seem unfair that customers who arc ma1inN a req sonable use of the service should be asked to pay a higher rate in order that others might be served at a loss
 The coml,anE is also criticized be- cause of the fact that the bills now being rendered include some service rendered to the customers prior to January I. 1920. While we will not at this time attempt to discuss the m mctIod employed by the company in meter reading and billing which seemed. to render this course ucces- sary, we will state that the effect has been one of general financial advan- taSe to the custt mcrs
 'rAt the time the new rate was put into effect our superintendent in New Britain was instructed in all cases where objection was made to this form of billing to rcadjust the bill rendered in such manner that the customer would pay at the old rate for service rendered up to January 1St. This we stand ready to do. If any customer desires to have his bill changed he may do so by simply send ing the same to our office with the request that the bill be rendered on basis Of old rttc. which will be done without further trouble io him.
 We have had numerous inquiries with regard to tn new rates. but very few complaints, The inquiries have been made by customers seeking in formation as to the effect of the new rate upon their bills. Tn all cases full Information has been given and our clerks inform us that there has not been single instance where the customer has not left the office ap- parcntly satisfied. and in many in stances they have compIim entcd the company upon adopting a new form of rate stating that they felt plan had been worked out which was moro equitable than the old method.
 In An interview which we had with Mayor QuiSlcy shortly after the announcement of the new rates. it was undCrstood' that he was 10 advise us of any complaints received by him. We have received from the mayors office to date the names of three GUS toners. Representatives of the con1- pany have talked with all of these parties and have reported that the customers were apparently satisfied and that they thought the rates should be given a fair trial
 Any estimate which We can make as to the effect Of these rates upon ! of lnII4sinnS shows