Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-01
FORCE CITY T0PAY
FOR FREE SERVICE
puIlug Takes Cost Of Electricity
and Gas, Now Furnished
Gratis OFF Small Consumer
SEE TAX TO MEET INCREASE
ne GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

for nil gas ana eIectfic ISL.
;ts streets, avenues ana nlgnways, ~
If nublic buildings. fire and station
houses and in all parks ana otner city
nroperty at the same rate tnat "
charged to private citizens.
And this same law applies TO every
o,hsr CITY. town or borough in the state
,.hicb Is receiving free service from any
rublic service corporation OF any kind
whatever.
confess that this is q rather star
.,,ns declaration. II will impose ad-
a,tional burdens Of expense, in way.
,,,sp taxpayers. But it is the rule Of
X Public Service Commission, and in
th;s instance the commission is sncrely
enforcing the law.
II has been the custom for years for
water. gas. electric light and power and
| telephonc companies, in making con-
| tracts with municipal corporations, to
snecify that they will furnish free, as
some sort of return for the grant of
franchise. n certain amo, MT of service
IN the way of fire plugs, street lamps
and lights and free telephones in public
buildings,
But Il is all wrong. NJ city or town
has any right to expect Or receive such
service. II is rank discrimination
against the people.
Halt Free Service
The Public Service Commission has
very buntly but in well chosen Ian
suage declared that there is no such
thing as free service Somebody has
got TO foot the bill. Tn every instance
i is the misguided and self deceived
taxpayer who is the goat.
II a gas, water or electric light com
pany furnishes fire hydrants or street
lights free to any city. it simply tacks
the cost of this so ocallcd free service"
on to the bills Of private consumers.
There you have the secret.
The U. G. ]. supplies this city with
5000 street lights, to which is added
300 additional every year. Tile cost of
this service. il paid for. would be in
excess. doubtless, of $500. 900 annually.
The Philadelphia Electric Co. FUR
nished 12j arc lights to the CITY
free, at cost of nearly $4,000.
Under the ruling of the Public Sery
ice Commission the city should pay for
all of this, and, presumably, the amount
should be deducted from the gas bill of
the thousands of consumers in Philadel- :
phia.
As have stated above, IL is n new
decision 1t was made within the Inst
sixty days by the Public Service Com
mission. The decision was rendered In
accordance with the provisions of the
public service company law. It was the
little borough of Clarion. in the county
OF that name. that started the ball roll :
ing that ended in this avalanche of trou :
Bile.
The Clarion Gas Co. had entered into
an agreement with the town or Clarion.
and duly set forth in its franchise, that
It would furnish natural gas free or Mt
reduced rate to the borough in return
for the privilege Of laying its pipes in
the streets and supplying the people
with natural gas.
Refused Free Service
Some, time last year the gas company
grew tlred OF the agreement and re :
FUSED longer to furnish the borough with
lree service. l presume the company's s
apent lawyer got hep to the law in
lne case Ihe borough authorities
Pranced around for awhile and then
hnally, through it's attorney. William /
Geary, brought the matter before the
Public Service Commission TO try To
lorce the gas company 10 live up to its
agreement. NN
10 Clarion's surprise, il was thrown
out OF court, or rather out of the com :.
mission chambers. The gas company
Kot the decision. 1t was Informed that
II had no right to furnish free gas 10
len other boroughs, cities, townships
individuals, and school districts bad
similar kicks before the commission. Rv
me Clarion decision, all of them We're
tnrown out into the middle of the road
II was public service commissioner,
'nhh y. hilllng. who prepared this rev
snoutinay s,uutGinary dccisisp. He first asks the
Can n public utility make n bind
;nS contract with a municipality or an
a'ar;dua amaiy;lduaI whereby its service win be
~ tarnISned iree or at a reduced rate? Or
STATE the question otherwise:
IAN public utility in Pennsyl
% ,ahia render any service except il be
paid for in accordance with the lawful
rate %, established by it?"
me answer to the above question
s,.iahlha,ng all legal phra seology, is that
nauer Mau' 'he law every public service com
pan'. OF whatever kind, is forbidden
Az. Az vnarge, demand, collect or receive
.euE or indirectly by any special
.a e, repaie or drawback from any per
Sor on Sr corporation for any service rem
nv greater or less compensation OF
su,, t uian II shall demand or receive
fop any other person or corporation
'or similar service"
Must Pay for All Service .
Non rnolHlSwlng up this explicit declara
tbat HHsommmlssioncr Killing fatty states
utiIi,, al service rendered by public
''n'ty must be paid for. -
borough or municipaIity has n right
GoHect reasonable license fee from
so soun public utility company; not 70,
tbnt tberal a. revenue purposes, but simply
snac, II may be enabled properly to In
Then he adds 'F'"' 0o'p""'e'
rti,i,,. any service is rendered by tho
ratoos companies free or at reduced
sono, IT necessarily must be paid for by
imnous' and the burden of its cost is
tban .t upon other shoulders, And
ana o une cfnX OF the decision is reached
iDs, oppressed explicitly in the follow
,erda. contract requiring a utility [,
tbe oo,, lrce service (which nccessitatc.
rs othnec'lon of the cost thereof from
rendor;s patrons, or which results In
tion on service for less compensa
pstroms ", sum than is collected from othe,
sir,,mSS. Tor like service under similar
just Jita9ceS Jiaa9ceS and conditions, is an un
hlal denomination and such contrac
tho rro,Ilon provision is therefore violatiye Of
pany law" '"' P"p"' service com
the II Tn!glc l!oglc Of this decision is that il
The PbiIued Ppuiled Gas Improvement Co. OF
after ttnuadeiphia ~ Electric Co. is here
the citV cut out their free service /,
same ana collect cold cash for tn,
In prico e"tre should be some reduction
they Lsd 20 their other patrons, becaus,
this aIISsoSSe Seen ", assessed for the cost o.
Presumah,v rse service,