The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-12-23
CITY ASKS LOWER
STR. LIGHT RATE
COUNCIL AND POWER co. FAIL
TO REACH TERMS-STREETS
IN DARKNESS

The city is in a fair way to have
dark streets during the holidays for
the reason that the contract between
the city and the Listerud Power COM
pany expired December 22nd and the
city council and the company have
been unable to arrive at terms I'M
der which to renew the contract. At
a meeting of the council Monday
evening the city clerk was instructed
to notify the Power Company not to
supply current to the street lights on
and after the 22nd.
The Herald has e~ndeavored to
gather the essential facts bearing on
the situation and the positions TAX
en- by the council and the Power
Company. City Clerk Knowlton
states that the records for the past
year show the total cost of lighting
the streets to have been $3649.5O. A
statement of the monthly bills, to-
gether with other facts, will be found
on another page of this issue in the
official proceedings of the council.
Mr.. Knowlton says that the expense
for lights in the city office, jail ETC.,
and the cost of current for the
pumping station, added to the o S
of lighting the streets makes a to-
tai for the year of over $4,000. In
consideration of the total available
for running the city, the
council feels that this total is great
er than the city can afford and they
feel that the rates charged by the
Power Company are too high. A re-
quest for a hearing on rates address
sed to the Public Service Commission
brought an indefinite reply so far as
a date for the hearing was concern
ed.
The rate charged at present is 10
cents per kilowatt hour for street
lights, 9 cents for power, with a
monthly charge of $1.00 per horse
power for each h. p. connected load,
the pumping motor being IS h. p.
The rate on lights in the city build
ings is the same as the public pays,
% cents less 10 per cent.
The Company's Position
At the office of the Power Com
oany, General Manager Morris Lis
terud and John Listerud were inter-
They verified the statements
above made and for their side of the
argument claimed that 10 cents for
street lights was a fair rate and was
rs low as was consistent with good
They state that on account
If the increased freight rates the
.ost Of coal is greater now than 1T
vas when the contract was made.
Norris Listerud stated that 10 cents
the rate charged for street lights
inc, in none of which did the SER
ice compare favorable with that fur
Iished in Wolf Point. He stated that {
he only reason hat a rate as low as
0 cents could be made was because
n giving "a hour service the street
after business hours, kept the l
liant occupied and paid expenses (
uring the night hours. He claimed
hat Wolf Point was getting better /
than any place oft the big S
over company's lines and that ser G
ice costs money. 1t was admitted q
hat the power plant was on a Day
1g basis, but that the net profits G
vere no greater than the invested :
apital was justly entitled to. I
Thase are the facts as set forth oy :
he two sides to the controversy and '
would seem that the adjustment of :
he matter rests with the Public Ser
ice Commission, and it is to be hop :
. that they can be induced to take d
D the matter at an early date. =