Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-22
PEOPLE TOPAY
TARIFF DUTIES
Act Simply Means High
er Prices, Senate Is
Told

WASHINGTON, April 22.-Rep-
resentatives Of importers attacked
the emergency tariff bill today be-
fore the senate finance committee,
asserting that the currency revalu-
atom provisions of the measure
would serve ito put more govern
ment in business than ever before
and in direct opposition to the ad-
vice of the president"
Discussing food imports, some wit
nesses said the increased duties
would simply mean the American
people would pay higher price.
Because the same rate that the city
paid last year was in effect in 1915 /;
we haven't had a raise since 1915
and every business man here knows
that costs have gone up and up since
that time. Here are a few reasons !:
More Figures.
"The fuel for the electric plant in
January and February of this year
cost $7,044.05; in the same months
in 1916 this fuel cost $2,478.94.
Labor for the same months this
year cost $1,12229, against $717.96
in 1916. In 1916 coal cost about
$1.33 ton and freight $3.50 a ton (,
this year coal costs $3.50 a ton and
freight $3.50.
"These are just some of the fig
ures, cited to show you the facts IN
the case in general way. The
Americas Lighting Company wants
to cooperate with the city and peo-
pie of Americus; it wants nothing
unjust The railroad commission
has said that 8 percent is a just re-
turn on investment for concerns of
this kind. We are not getting it,
and | don't believe a public utility
corporation in Georgia is getting it.
Would you, l ask you, as business
men, continue in business if you were
losing money continuously as this
company has been losing it?
Another thing | want to call your
attention to while | have the oppor-
tunity. The city council in it's bud
get for this year set aside $4,000 for
the operation of the city's pumping
station for the city to pump its own
water. The Americas Lighting Com
pany offered the city contract to
do this pumping for $4,000, which,
if It had been accepted, would have
meant saving to the city of $4,000
year..
Pumping Contract.
"The city engineers and our en-
gineers differ, but | want to make
this suggestion: In former years
the Americus Lighting Company
pumped the city's water at loss,
hoping that conditions would inn
prove and we would eventually be
able to make a profit on the work.
When we couldn't continue to do the
pumping at the increasing loss the
CITY took it away from US. If yon
look into every cent its costs the
CITY to do that pumping you will find
that we would have saved the city
several thousand dollars a year If
our proposition had been accepted.
Last year we were deprived of
the CITY pumping contract. There
was no money in it, but it helped
to carry the load. Taking it away
added to the deficit of the company
and increased the cost of operating,
which is felt by the consumer in in
creased rates.
Another thing. When the city got
its power for pumping from the
company the city had both steam and
electric power for fire emergencies
Our engineers tell us that in case Of
great fire such as sometimes occur
in cities the city's steam boilers
would be entirely insufficient in ca,
pacity to handle the emergency and
that the insurance people would be