White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-23
Ely LIGHT AND POWER RATES
WILL Be DECIDED ON MERITS

The application of tie Ely Light and
Power Company for authority TO raise
rates was taken up BY the pubic ser
Wee commission of Nevada and heard
by Commissioner J. G. serugham IN the
district court room last wednesday
But little interest WAS shown ia the
nntter AID the only one appeaiing l.
protest was CITY Attorney {. i. Edds
who said that ne appeared on behalt OF
the city of Ely. together with Frank
sanford. representing the Ely Central
Labor body.
At the outset Commissioners sernghani
made clear the main points to be con-
sldere1. which he gave a. follows
First--Is the equipment OF the Ely
Light and Power Company reasonably
efficient? The measure OF efficiency will
he decided from the ratio or quantity
Of kilowatt hours generated per ton Of
coal burned, and on this point the com
missioner asked that evidence he sub
mitted.
Seconds til distribution sNFtem
reasonably efficient for plants Of this
character This point l. Judged by tie
ratio Of kilowatt hours delivered to
consumers TO the ratio OF kilowatt
hours generated at The switchboard.
plant and equipment Of the Ely Light
md Pow er Company used In lie gen
alton and distribution OF power. This
eotnt was covered b. Commissioners
scrugham. hiuiself a qualified expert.
WHO made a personal Inspection nfter
the closing of the taking OF testimony.
Fourth--1ne proper return on the
valuation faund. This matter Viii bs
decided BY tn. commission aud viii he
based on the precedsnts already estahs
lished
Arthur Smith was the nrst witness
called and In connection with Ms tess
timony. which Nas % tie effect that
because ef the raisa in the prices of
commodities necessary for the opera ?
lion of tho system. he company was
operating at loss. Attorney samuel
" Belford of REM who represehtes
the company. laid particular stress upon
the raise in the price OF coal, whirh he
polnted out had seriously affected his
.flent ard directed attention 10 tho fact
that th. action OF tae interstate com
mere. commission. known as x parte
No. ~ which raised the freight rate
On coal. was matter over which "a.
local company exercised no control. aud
~ reason 90 t.r operation alone IN
operating cost had been enormously IN
creased.
-. royd- smith. an electrical engineer
employed BY the Nevada Consolidated
copper Company Al MeG III. was wit
ness for the company and testified that
Turing recent months he had thorough
\ gone over the plant. and then gave
figures based on present prices show :
ms wnat such a plant and equipment
would cost Ia tie market today. IL
said that 10 found the plant eapaete
IF properl, meeting the demands upon
il and gave it a. hts judgment that The
entire Organization was wei AID eco
nomically managed as a public ntiitN.
The only witness called by Mr.. Eddy
was r.. q Ringer. city electrician Tor
tho city OF Ely. and ine main point
sought 10 be brought oat was that in
aoIno parts Of the system iron wire was
used Instead of copper. which operate /
u disa ixantage Mr Ringer testified
that he had found nome iron wire in
The system. bat further said that that
was not the fault of The company but
Asas the fault Of III, eltf on III. eleez
trician Who PIT It in
Numerous exhibits wefa hl,1 hy tuF
petitioner. which showed the cost OF
operation and covered in detail the
iaaln points On which final decision
Will be based These were taken from
tho records of the company and were
supplemented hy reports submitted 70
The commission and testified "a hy Ar
thur Smith as being correct.
Following the taking OF tie testis
nony Commissioner Serugham made a
personal inspection of the plant ond
equipment Ia this work COMMISSIONS
lcrughanl IL an expert. and the COM
mission being Ia possession Of data
from like companies throughout ths
state. from which a comparison can
well hc drawn. the matter will be given
mature cor sideration before any de-
cision il rendered.