The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1921-01-14
ABOUT new
HOPE GAS
A SELF EXPLANATORY LETTER
FROM THE BUCKS COUNTY
PUBLIC SERVICE co.
Mr.. Gordon Cooper,
New Hope, Pa.


New Hope, Pa.
Dear Sir:
We believe it is due you as a bust
ness body representing a portion of
our customers that you should have
information regarding the new rates
of gas effective in our territory. On
November 20 last the Philadelphia
Suburban Gas and Electric Company
raised its rates Of gas on US, and by
letter dated November 80 we
acquainted our consumers with the
fact and advised them that conse-
quently 1T was absolutely necessary
for US also to file new rates; but we
at the same time stated that we were
going to require the Suburban Com
pany to justify these rates before the
Pennsylvania Public Service Commits
SIGN.
We were not the only consumers of
The Suburban Company affected at
that time, as all Of their consumers
received notices of increases of rates.
We fled our papers before the COM
mission and many of the communities
served by the Suburban Company also
made appeals. About this time Mr.
Swayze, the manager, and l visited
all the boards of trade and chambers
of commerce in our territory, told
them of the conditions and of what
we proposed doing, and asked them
for their support in our attempt to
have the new rates recalled How
ever, as some of the bodies did not
have regu49r meetings scheduled for
the then immediate future, we in sew
eral cases took the matter up with
their officers or other representatives.
In nearly every case we found splen-
did cooperation and willingness to
assign a representative to attend the
hearing whenever it may be held.
The Public Service Commission find
ing that in consequence of these new
rates number of hearings would
ordinarily be held decided to combine
them all into enc. On December 10
preliminary meeting was held be-
fore Commissioner Benn in the City
Hall, Philadelphia, to which We're sum-
moned representatives of all parties
concerned, particularly the engineer
ing experts. We retained Mr.. Walter
A. Allison, an expert engineer special
izing in public utility rates, appraise-
ments and operations, who is having
continual experience with the Pennsyl-
vania Public Service Commission and
similar commissions in other States.
The commission decided that in order
to obtain information by which to
judge the matters that it would be
necessary to obtain an appraisement
Of all the Suburban Company proper
ties, ard therefore this preliminary
hearing partook more of a nature of
an engineering conference. In view of
shis, and knowing that evidence would
DE taken only from experts and not
from ordinary consumers that are in
terested, we did not request your rep
resentative to attend this meeting.
This excerpts only representative of
the Bucks County Chamber of Com
merce, who was invited to attend.
From articles that have appeared in
all of the newspapers recently, you
will have found confirmation of all
that happened at that meeting and
since. The Suburban Company prop
erty is to be appraised, subject to
| the scrutiny of the engineers of the
commission, and also of the engineers
Of those communities, including our
elves, who have retained experts. We
are keeping the closest watch on pro-
ceedings and trying to hasten it as
much as possible, and will call upon
your representative to attend the gen
eral hearing whenever it may be held.
We are going into details somewhat
in this letter so as to assure you that
we are doing all that we can to keep
down the price of gas so that our con-
sumers can benefit accordingly. We
are bearing all the expense of Mr..
Allisons fees, which are not inconsid-
cradle, and we have promised our con-
sumers in our original letter of No
vember 30. in our advertisements, and
on the back of our gas bills, that "ln
event the Suburban Company's in
crease to US is not allowed in whole or
in part, to reduce our rates to our
consumers accordingly" 1t has been
cur policy to deal frankly in all mat
tiers with our consumers, and with all
their representative bodies, and we
welcome at any time an invitation to
call and discuss the gas subject with
you.
Very truly yours,
W. G. .MURFIT,
Secretary Treasurer.