Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-02-17
Both Sides Are Present at Gather
ing Held in School Building ON
Wednesday Night
ATTORNEY v. H. CADY
REPRESENTS THE CITY
G. c.. Neff Of Madison Speaks for
the Corporation---Some Back
firing During Session

! All sidewalks led to the high school
building on Wednesday evening and
from the large number present it was
evident all was not going well with
gas and electricity service. Baraba0
was represented by City Attorney v.
H Cady and the patrons of the cont
pany, and G. G. Neff of Madison was
there to defend the corporation.
Presents the Case
City Attorney Cady at the opening
gave short history Of the corpora
tion, how it was first the Baraboo
Lighting company, then the Barabo0
Gas & Electric company and now the
Wisconsin Power, Light & Heat coma
pany Before the new street lights
were added the plant was sold for $685.
! 900 and loan of $125,000 was made
| for improvements, making total OF
| $500, 900. Soon after the present COM
pany took control transmission line
was built from Prairie du Sac and 9TH
er lines were built to other cities MAX
ing network in this section of Wis
consin.
War Changes Conditions
Not long ago the companp asked for
an increase in light rates, claiming
the cost of labor and equipment was
more. The increase has been granted.
The public utility law is such there
can be but one public utility of kind
in a city and the only redress is by
lpetition-to have a hearing (which
means long fight. The law also pro-
vides for an appeal, to take the suit
into court, to have the issues framed,
to obtain a decision.
MIR. Cady claimed an excess price
, was paid for the plant, that more than
necessary was paid for the right OF
way for the transmission lines, citing
as instance the paying of $3.50 for the
privilege of passing a piece of prop
erty in Baraboo.
He claimed meters were read by per
sons not competent--in one case q
patron had paid 81 for month the
next month so cents and the next
month $6:98.
Was it necessary for two persons
| to read the rates, one gas one electric
ity?
! improvements are not made except
after long delays.
He said the wages were to be In
creased, based on the advance in rates,
but did not know if this had been done.
Current was purchased from the
city atone cent, the city owning q
plant which makes electricity and
sells the product to the company, the
patrons buying it back again at about
i1215 cents Power is also obtained
| from the Macarthur mill at the same
rate.
| The speaker claimed the company
wanted patrons in Baraboo to pay st
rates based on the cost of plants
operated by coal instead of water for
power. He desired prices reduced to
a reasonable figure.
J The Question Of Gas
| During the war an emergency gas
rate was granted the company. Later.
Mayor Thuerer and the city attornep
attended hearing at Madison to
prevent permanent increase in
rates. Higher rates were granted,
| the speaker claiming there was no
real emergency existing at that time.
Still later there was another hear
ling and the district attorey claimed he
was not notified Rates were again
raised. He said he doubted if any
one is satisfied with the present ser
vice, even though the advance was
justified.
! At the hearing held in the city hall
about a year ago, he said the COM
pany admitted it was largely at fault
but that the company had disregard
ed it's promises and things had gone
from bad to worse. Mr.. Cady gave
much detail, too long to be presented
there.
Company States Case
G. C. Neff spoke for the corpora
Ition. Prior to 1916 he said he knew
nothing of the history of the situa-
! tion. In order to save coal transmits
sion lines were built to Baraboo and
lother places about 1916, prices chang
ling rapidly, a situation Of which the
company never dreamed. But other
towns are IN a much worse situation
than Baraboo, because they have no
electricity from water power plants,
lin Columbus, Wis, the rate was for