New Britain herald., 1920-01-21
SCONZLE, REPUBLICAN, AND
 LANDERS, DEMOCRAT, LINING
 UP FOR SUPPORT OF HOOVER
OUIGLEY TO BATTLE ELECTRIC LIGHT co. If Council Does Not Act He Will
 Call on People SCORES COMPANY OFFICERS

oGUkEo CUMPANf UfFlCEKS Defeat of Any Protest in Common Courcil This Evening Will Spur Mayor On to Greater Activities to Defeat New Rates, He Declares. Mayor George A. Quigley today is sued a statement regarding the claims of the Connecticut Light and Power ! company. and during the course of his remarks he scored the company for what he terms it's discourtesy in giving to the public a statement in tended for the common council. It is the intention of the n ayor to bring before the common council this eve- ming a protest to be lodged with the public utilities commission relative to the new rates. Having evidently learned that his plans will meet with opposition tonight by certain mem- bers of the council, Mayor Quigley has determined that in case of the defeat of his project tonight, he will call a public meeting to oppose the rates.
 Other Protests Received
 While New Britain is apparently one of the few cities in the state which has protested the rates Mayor Quigley stated today that he has re- ceived protests from residents of Plainville. NeWington and Berlin against the proposed rates.
 The statement made public today by Mayor Quigley, follows:
 Mayors Statement,
 "T noted with some, surprise the statement, in a communication ad- dressed to the, common council by the Connecticut Light and Power. com- pany that statement had made that 23> per cent. or approximately 2.000 customers Of the company were only paying $500 per year was erroneous
 Tn reply to this statement 1 would say that if the statement is erron- cous the error lies with the lighting company as I was told by an official Of the company that 3 per cent or approximately 20V0 customers. were only paying the minimu um charge which is 50 cents per month or $6.00 per year.
 ''The company had an opportunity last Friday evening to appear before the members of the common council and explain the new rates but at the last minute pleading 8, misunderstood ing they refused to appear.
 This company on Dec. 20, 1919. without notice to their customers or the city government, requested per mission of the public utilities commits sion to establish q new rate to go into effect Jan. 1, 1920 They filed their proposed rates with the utilities con- mission on Dec. 20, 1919, and on or about Dec. 24 notified the public, for the past week or more custom CTS have received bills for lighting un- der the new schedule of rates dating back as far as November 15, 191e."
 'The company may try to justify such action but the fact remains that their request to the public util- ities commission was for the estab- lishment of new rates to take effect Jan. l, 1920. and I fail to see how i the Connecticut Light and Power company, or any other corporation, can arbitrarily make a rate" New Rates Only Experiment. 'Fhe company, in my estimation. is trying an experiment. unwilling to assume any risk. It desires the pub i lie to pay for the experiment." The public has stood for the poor service furnished by the Connecticut Light and Power company; the slight est storm has at times put the electric lighting service out of commission: times without number the city has been in darkness and now this com pany has the Drazen effrontery to in form the public that they will under the new rajcS make a direct service charge but will reduce the rates. Let us see how these rates work out. Take for example tho customers who now pays the minimum rate of $500 per year and this customer lives in ln ordinary five room flat contain jug 15n square feet of lighted area for which the company proposes to charge four cents per hundred square feet per month or $500 per year, also proposes customer charge of s6.00 per year and charge of Sc per kilo- watt hour for the electricity used. We can only assume that this 1 customer uses annually as much cleo tricity as he needs or all he can af- ford to buy.
 To-day he pays $500; under the new rate he will pay as follows: Customer charge ...... $500 Area charge 3.OO 41s kiloWItt hours at Ic 2.70 $4.1O Claims Rates Are Higher.