Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-06-12
INCREASED RATE
GIVEN FOR A YEAR
Council Grants Permission
to Alexandria County
Lighting Co.
EFFECTIVE JUNE
Proposition to Place City Aims House
Under Supervision of Health De-
partment and Committee on Poor

The Alexandria County Lighting
Company was last night granted per-
mission to increase its rates for q
period of / year from June l by city
council. This application was granted
on a petition filed by the compan!
some time ago The company, however
did not designate any set time for the
increase in rates to continue and al
the meeting last night after the ord!n-
ance had been read Councilman Bag
gett offered an amendment that the
new rate prevail for period ! year
from June l and then revert back to
the old rate unless otherwise ordered
by council. 1t was pointed out that the
cost of coal and labor may be con-
siderably reduced within a period OF
one year. hence the section in fixing
year as the time limit. The COM
pany's revenue on the strength OF the
increase will be increased about $16,-
coo for the year it is stated.
Council adopted the ordinance as
amended by vote of 13 to l. Council
man Sullivan voting against the IN
crease and the aldermen adopted !;
by vote Of 7 to l, Aldermen ". W.
Ballenger voting against the increase
George E. Warfield, president OF
the Alexandria County Lighting Com
pany, was given the floor and mace :
statement regarding the company ana
the proposition to increase its rates.
Mr.. Warfield among other things SAID
he had been president of the company
since it had been under control of the
present management and had never
drawn a cent as salary for being presi
dert and neither did he own any OF
the company's stock or bonds and ne
never floated any of the company S
securities. This company he Said IN
1906 got the franchise from the city
because it offered to furnish current
a. lower rate than any of the other
bidders. He told council that the cost
Of material since then had increased
anywhere from forty-seven to two
hundred and seventy-five per cent
coal being the biggest item. this year
the company paying al incraese for
coal Cf $4,000 more than last year.
The coal bill since 1913 he said m
creased 279 per cent. Since the ccm-
many took the franchise he declared
it had not received a single cent IN
increase of rates and he said it did not
recalire an expert 10 tell that 1T need
ed an increase. That the company did
not ask for an increase before now nc
asserted was due largely to rs etfl-
Gent management. After reductions
are made the company just now re-
ceives only about three per cent pro
fit on its investment he told council
Mr.. Warf;eld said he believed the rate
to be equitable and would yield the
company $4,000 annually. Another
rate might be presented he said but
he did not think it would be as fair OF
equitable as the one presented al
though it would yield the company ap'
proximately the same amount OF re-
Venue.
Attorney James R. Cation spoke as
citizen on the proposition. He said he
had not had nopportunity to inves-
tigatc matter. adding he was not op-
posed to company getting fair return
on their investment He suggested that
council before passing the measure
get scme person qualified 20 inveStl-
gate. There may be reduction II
coal and labor he said Mr.. Gator
said there will come time when We
will get bac kto normal or nearly no,
nal and any contract should be guard.
ed.
Corporation Attorney H. Noel Gar.
ner declared the solution was com.
paratively simple. Council he sale