The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-12-01
Commission Sets Dec. 7th
as Date for Hearing Of
Complaints on Rates.
TO MEET IN RACINE
City Officials VIII Be On Hand
to Garry Battle for Lower
Gas Rate.

The Wisconsin Gas and Electric
company must appear at a public hear
ing before the Wisconsin Railroad
Commission and show cause why there
should not be a reduction in the rates
which the company is to charge for
gas. in Kenosha, Rae ne, South Mil.
waukee and Cudahy. At the Office of
the commission in Madison this morn
ing a formal order was issued for the
hearing and it is to be held at Racine
on Wednesday, December 7th. Notices
Of the meeting were sent today to the
officials Of the four cities which may
be affected by any order of the COM
mission and the people of these cities
will be given a chance to appear and
make statements in regard to prevail
ing gas rates and the demand for the
reduction. The proposed reduction in
the rates is on the initiative of the
railroad commission, the commission
having issued an order for a hearing
in the matter several weeks ago. 1t is
in keeping with the plans of the COM
mission to review rates in all portions
Of the state where it may appear to the
commission that the rates are unfair.
City Attorney to Attend.
Kenosha will be represented at the
hearing, officially, by the city attorney
and he is expected to present to the
commission the protest against the
present gas rate which was submitted
when the commission was in Kenosha
a short time ago.
"The commission understands pretty
well the stand Of Kenosha in regard to
the gas and electric rates." said Mayor
Joachim in discussing this matter
"The commissioner, when he was here
to talk street railway fares was given
to understand just what the official
feeling of Kenosha was to the contin-
uation Of the better-than-war rates
for gas and electricity in the city of
Kenosha. [ do not know what can
add to this statement but Of course
the city will be officially represented
at the hearing and I hope that there
will be a lot Of the people of Kenosha
there and that they will be given
chance to talk. With the price of
nearly everything going down 1 can
see no reason why the cost of public
utilities should not go down."
No Compromise Made Here.
Some time ago compromise in rates
was suggested to Kenosha but there
has been no change made in the gas
rate and it is not expected that the
matter will be open to bargaining now
that the commission has ordered
hearing on it's own initiative. The city
of Racine made a compromise with the
company on the question of the cleo
trio rate but it is understood that any
arrangements made between the COM
pauy and the city will not be taken in
to consideration by the commission in
fixing the rste to be charged and that
the rate fixed will be dependent wholly
on the costs of fuel and labor 1t is
understood that the cost of both fuel
and labor has shown some decrease
and this decrease is expected to be
passed along in the way of reduced
rates to the consumers of the gas.
The present order of the commission
makes no mention of rates charged for
electric service and it is expected that
new order of the commission will
be made to cover such rates.