The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-03-30
l|I|l|E / OF
RATES IS
AsKE|'|'D'||F| FOR ! ! BY } !
GAS COMPANY
Increased Cost Of Production
Cannot Be Maintained >ss
B FOR Operation -, s 81 : :.
$50 PER THOUSAND ss.. =.
ORIGINAL FRANCHISE
IPre-Vyar Figure; Coal, Coke
q and Gas Oil Now at Sky
High Prices NJ &.

and Gas Oil. Now at Sky
High Prices i. ~ 4.
3 A feature Of the council meeting
{ Monday night was the address of J.
4 George Of the Public Improvement
acom pany, known. as the gas company,
y III which he made. q request that the
rates OF the company be adjusted IN
the franchises grant ted, October, 1915,
asslarRa increases IN cost of-prodMc tion
being stated as the reason for the
request. B, ss.S= 6 4
n IN the franchise, the rates PROVIDED
B as xi.5O per Thousand net, which
D vas ample at that time, provided the
s ictonsumption of gas reached the
Damo,,nt expected Within a reasonable
I tine. III February,6ti1919 the or
y ganizatipn of the company began a
{ change and at present the. stock IS
entirely owned by Bemidji men.
III Plant Runs at Loss.
The plant has been running at a
Il loss for about agar, and 1t is be-
lsslieved the stock holders are, entitled
10 at Il least eight per cent. To OBJ
tain such rate Of interest It will pc
II lacessary to garan Mt a mt rate of 81 80
lssI tthIlolsand feet, Ia place Of the
5ss so now in effect. :s z
Coal IT, Is per cent higher than In
16. Coke is ahout the same, while
Sssa oil SIS over 4 on per cent higher
s ssfl going up. sssa- 4 s,s'@s' go az
IN nearly al business, he said,
y merchants can increase prices in ac-
cOrdance to costs, but that the gas
company requires the consent Of two
parties to change a. contract, when
! the contract was : made. at a time
when everything was: normal and
costs reasonable And it was stated
that nforeseetn circumstances have
changed conditions, and it would only
| bs fair to the company to grant such
an, increase as will give a reasonable
sproflt, only asking for an increase OF
40 per cent. ;f .5:s5 5::F - =
a tx6leg Showing Vi spf the e cost of oper-
atom from March 1912, including
sJapnary and February Of 1920, show
ed that the gas amounted to $685.
500 cubic feet; material paid for; $7,-
sA9S.6 IS; manufacturing expenses ~
@347. 8 IS; overhead expenses, IS, 1885.
Total cost, $15,634.60. receipts, $13,-
s384.36, for the twelve month year.
SS Using the basis of an increased
during the, coming
year to 4 100000 cubic feet, with
Interpretation of costs not being any
lower than now, possibly higher, the
following deduction Is found: Gas
OIL; IS, 112.75; coke, 4,144:50; coal,
$4,000 .$Is manufacturing expenses,
@s$2,582.O9; overhead. $6,367.42: To-
tal. 81 3,246.76. Stock dividend pre-
yailing interest 8 per cent on $60,-
900, 81 200. Total amount required
s327,246.76, asrate Of $1:82 on the
u 900. DO output. i s - e
Time Extended on Well:
tractors. were granted an extention
OF time for 80 days to- complete the
( city building well ', until the start
May +, instead Of April I. :, It will
require two weeks, work to finish 1t,
1T: was stated. s.s; 81. :!'t t...
10 get. rid of the large pond of wa
( ter in front of the Koors building,
which always happens when it rains,
the city engineer made an estimate
that 1t would cost $3.50 That spot
g5is also a menace to pedestrians and
vehicle drivers, having. no drainage
water rates was also real and will
facilities Il. z X. Gil il T..
An ordinance on: a change OF the
appear in the Pioneer tomorrow
Water Meters Missing.
A motion was passed that all wa
ter consumers who have no meters
0nsor before May / will have their
supply cut off. 1t TRANSFERRED that
several have no meters to determine
the amount of water they are using.
The collection of water bills has
been placed in the hands of the 'coun-
ell water committees hands for col
Lection. ,
The road near the Blakslee farm
I'm Fourteen hssstreet is in a, bad
way, and the-sstreet commissioner
was ordered to, look after it and fix
/ It up at the least expense g. -.... =
Z Some Paw. Some Don't.
Some employment agencies were
said to- pay license and others not,
acc1rding to an ordinance, 1t was de-
clated. q, .$%2s-s~~ -*.,~5@
Electric wiring in the fire depart
ment headquarters was ordered to be
arfAAged properly. -: -, r. -
Carele5sness in the. city building
rest room was also brought to at
tenttcn.