Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-06-10
THE PROPOSED LIGHT INCREASE
Communicated

Il
cents for all succeeding kilowats to a
dollar for the first five kilowats and
g cents for all succeeding kllowats up
TO 200. Under the proposed increase,
as now. a minimum charge Of 81 is
provided.
According to the figures the
company gave council, they have 1886
customers affected by the proposed
rates OF whom S62 have an average
monthly consumption not exceeding
) kilowats and 225 consumers from 10
TO % kilowats, making a total OF
1887 small consumers who. under the
present rate. pay from 81 to $3.50 per
month. The remaining 400 customers,
less than one-third. are divided into
small groups who pay from $3.50 10
S73 per month and who under the
proposed rates will pay an increased
sealed Down to - per cent.
That the burden of increase will
he borne by the small consumer is APP
parent from the following comparison
of figures submitted
The average mcnth!y consumption
Ok. w. 10; consumers. so; present
rate. $l.l0; proposed rate Sl.S0; com
pany now receives. $62I; company
will receive, $1026. Average monthly
consumption Ok. W. %: consumers
225: presen. rate. $50; proposed rate
s.. 60; company now receives. S4o5;
company will receive. $3.50. Total
Consumers 795; company now re-
ccives. 81 .Oa2; company vii! receive.
81 Gil.
Ii will thus be seen ttiat the corr
pany'S monthly revenue is increased
from 1902 to Ssh or ga per cent.
Ard this increase is applied to q
source from which, under the pre-
sen, rates. the company receives its
largest income In other words mare
than half of their customers, VINO are
The small consumers. as asked 10 swell
the company's largest source OF m
come "a per cent while the large con
SINNER paws s.r increase graduated
down TO So per cent. Admitting thai
the man who. purchases commodity
IN ouartity is entitled to somewhat
lower price than the small buyer. IS
there any article on the market TO-
dav which sells for sixty-four cents
retail! ard eight and one half cents
wholesale?
Tie proposed rates further increase
the burden Of the small consumer by
throwing into higher rate class nun
dreds Of customers who row enJHy
fine minimum rate CT a dollar. For eX-
ample. man who today uses up TO !"
X. W. monthly pays the minimum
rate and the IA K. W.. user pays only
1O3. Under the proposed rates only
those who use X. w. and under, OF
whom there are 292. will enjoy tht
dollar. minimum. and those who use
from : to IA X. W., will he forced out
of this class to pay from $l.l0 to %l.''
Iook ~ this comparison. II Is. W
rsprs. prcsent rate $1a3: proposed
rate Sl.72; percentage OF increase oo
The company argues that the small
consumer will only bear an ncreasec
burden Of from sixty 10 seventy cerfS
ner month. which is only about post
are stamp a day, and that no man IS
TOO poor to afford it. Expressing rate
increases in terms of postage stamps
instead Of dollars is d novel idea. !
might he well to suggest stamp tax
on the 10000 population Of Alexan'
dr;a. which would result N a tcta.
daily increased revenue to the city OF
$500 or $4,000 year. which is not
far short of the city's total annua
receipts from taxation.
Why the small consumer Snoulo
be asked to fill the companX'S golfers
with postage stamps instead Of
dollars Is difficult to comprehend. he
can afford it perhaps, but is it nee
essary? Does the proposed ncreas'
fairly distribute the burden amongst
all Of the consumers. or should mol
the large consumer he asked TO
contribute at least as many postage
stamps with which 10 line tne COM
pany's treasury.
The ordinance granting the IN
crease as above outlined IS oblec-
tionable for further reason wh'cf
will appeal to those citizens who use
current for heat ani power purposes
What has been heretofore said re-
lates only to the users Of current
for lighting The present ordinance
to which the increase now proposed
is an amendment. specifically AMI
in terms authorizes the application
of the present rates to consumers
! Of current for light. heat and power