Americus times-recorder., 1920-03-22
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Continuance of Hearing
Wednesday To Be
Asked

Arrangements were being complet-
ed today by City Attorney w. 7.
Lane, assisted and counseled by May
or j, E. Sheppard, for adequate rep
resentation of the city's interests
when the application of the Ameri-
Gus Lighting Company for an in
crease in electric lighting and gas
rates is called for hearing before the
State Railroad Commission in Allan
ia at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning
of this week. For various reasons,
which have been unavoidable, how
ever, the city, representing the con-
sumers, will not be ready to make a
detailed showing at this time, and will
only enter formal protest and ask
of the commission a continuance of
the hearing for a reasonable length
of time so that the consumers side OF
the case may be properly prepared.
The company, it is understood, having
rate experts regularly in its employ
and having based its application on
the prepared figures of these ex-
perts, is ready to proceed with the
hearing.
One of the grounds on which the
continuance will be asked, it was to-
day learned, is the illness of John B.
Ansley, who was taken with influ-
enZa last night and will be confined
for several days. He was the city's
engineer for number of years, until
February l, and is more familiar with
the costs of manufacturing electricity
than any other man in the city out
side of the lighting company's en-
ployees, it is said, and the city may
have to rely greatly upon his adj
vice in combating the application
of the company. City Attorney Lane
and Mayor Sheppard will appear be-
fore the commission in person We'd
nesday in behalf of the consumers of
Americas.
Forum to Discuss Rates.
In response to demands of men,
bers of the Chamber of Commerce to-
day, Frank Lanier, chairman of the
newly named MealSers Forum Coun-
Gil, this afternoon issued call to the
membership stating that the subject
for the Tuesday afternoon member
ship forum meeting, announced as
Housing" would include discussions
of the proposed increase in electric
and gas rates and the attitude the
Chamber of Commerce should as
sumo in the matter. 1t was freely
predicted that, because of the wide
public interest in the rate matter, the
housing topic would have little show
at this meeting and probably would
have to be taken up at later time
The meeting will be held at tho
court house from to p. m.
The desirability for the forum dis
cussion of the gas and electric rate
controversy came about from
among the membership as to the ac-
tion taken by the directors of the
body Friday afternoon following re-
ceipt of the special committees re-
port on the subject This committee
reported that it had been unable to
obtain any information in the way of
an investigation Of the facts and rec
commended that an attorney be en-
ployed by the directors to represent
the chamber in the matter. The di-
rectors concurred in the entire report
of the committee with the singlye ex-
ception of that portion relating to the
employment of an attorney.
''It was the position of the direc-
tors" said one member of that body
today, "that they were without au-
thority to spend the chambers money
for an attorney for this or any other
purpose without being directly au-
thorized by the members. 1t is un-
fortunate that this mater came up
fortunate that this matter came up
just at this time, before the new
chamber organization had been per-
fected and gotten down to function
ing smoothly. We haven't even
worked out budget yet. The di-
rectors are in Office merely to do the
will of the membership and we do not
know what the will of the membership
is. That is why the Forum commit
tee has been asked to call the men,
bership for discussion of this matter
publicly tomorrow afternoon. The
time is short, as the hearing is set for
Wednesday morning in Atlanta, and
we should be able at that time to
make some kind of showing to the
commission as to what the people
want to do"
The Directors Action.
Combating the report in some cir
cleS CHdC Ine CndmDer oHclalS na0
dropped. the proposal to contest the
application of the Lighting company
the resolution passed by the directors
and forwarded to Mayor Sheppard
was made public today, as follows:
The Directors Resolution.
Whereas, Honorable J. E. Shep-
pard, acting for the Mayer and Coun-
ell of the City of A-nericus, has re-
quested the directors of the Chamber
of Commerce to take such action as
is deemed necessary to combat the
proposed increase in light and pow
er rates in the City of Americas by