The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-07-03

Manufacturers Record. Baltimore.
The attention of public utility in
tcr<ssa through the country In be-
)nk direo<tG 10 "a, broad and common
scuseway In which some or the COM
nu,dtte< OF Virginia. with the approx
nj Of the State Corporation Commits
sion. are eolving the difficulties In
which. ofP account OF inadequate re-
turns. various local utilities have
found themselves.
\ One ~ the ntandar. cases Is that
of the NeVport News b. Hampton
Railway. Gas 4 Electric Company.
which serves the towns of Newport
News. hampton and Phoebus. tghe
company presented 90 these commun-
Ities . fuIl and comprehensive state
ment oc its capital. value OF its prop
critics cost or service. etc. and made
no nttesnpt to dictate or even suggest
policy Qf relief. IL left that tn the,
local auth orities. which came to the
toocWhtOn that II woald be proper to
opQ1y to'the utility Held the principle
1ald down in the Federal Transporta-
fiou Act namely. that capitol Is en-
tj<)ed 20 fsir return. As the COM
pany was able to show thot the cost
of money Tor new Investment would
~ approximately $ per cent. the towns
osctded mat return Of 8 per cent on
cepisat already invested should be
souynt and of per cent on new in
venmentf Tor two ytar period. APP
prepriote increases ON the trolley lines
% pthe eompany were. therefore.
Granted ard an increase OF 10 per cent
In the prios Of gas was ordered.
Equally significant. and perhaps
even more worth study. is the gas
rate case In Norfolk. The city has
9ovcrping council of Ave members
And an matters OF public interest In
cQrnection with utilities are referred
20 the Norfolk Public Utllities Com
missitn. The main purpose OF thfs
Commission was to secure better SER
Vice for the city. II. therefore. being
comppsed OF business men set out at
once 20 fnd the facts in the situation.
u cnIIed In as expert Mr.. A. Merritt
Taplor. srchitect OF the comprehen-
sive rapid transit plans for. Philadel-
phia. who associated with him MIR.
CHARLES B. Cooke. Jr.. OF Kelly. Cooke
&.eo.. consulting engineers To them,
wAs referred. for a report. the appiica-
non Of the local gas company Tor
higher rateH.
These gentlemen established as a
cardinal principle from which 10 work
this, thought. "Camtaf legitimately in
vefted In public-utility properties must
be. safeRuarded and protected ry mu-
nfcip'sF.ties. 10th as TO principal and as
To ~ juS, and inviting return thereon
after reimbursement to the company
for cxpenses incurred In providing
Amer most thorough survey, these
x1Qtjemen decided that the company
ordrv 90 Kive good service. was en-
1szeo 10 An increase In gas rates OF
rom. ei.fo tp $3.50 a thousand. which
d>eisson was promptly concurred In
ny the Norfolk Puolic rtilities Com
mission and by the city council When
the case went before the state Cor
poration Commission the very unusual
specs&c'e was presented OF city IT.
sc'f prrcucoIIy being the petitioner
for higher rate for utility. What
has happened In the gas case is about
10 happen IN the case OF the street
railroads tn.
What Norfolk. governed by busi-
s,ens men, proposes TO do. In other
v0rds II % vet good service for its
tpls and nay what the service ii
worth.
Norfolk does not consider bankrupt
ntilitiescan asset, but rather heavy
Iino'Isy. too heavy to carry. More
over the cotst territory OF Virginia
- s'v'ng motive TO capital all over the
country that u is welcome. will he
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