Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-04


have been increased lie cents a kilo-
watt hour since 1918, be reduced from
seven to twelve mills a kilowatt hour
In general.
A cut OF l cent per kilowatt hour IN
electric light rates for residences and q
corresponding decrease in power charges
is asked in a brief in the hearing upon
the rate schedules Of the Indianapolis
Light and Heat Company and the Mer-
chants Heat and Light Company, filed
before the public service commission to-
day by Taylor z. Groninger. corpora
ton counsel, and Samuel Ashby, special
counsel for the city Of Indianapolis.
In the brief makes plea for real sim
pli6catiOn Of the so-called 'simplifed
schedules" Mr.. GrOnlnger says:
They remind me Of definition Of
life I learned or rather committed to
memory, more than thirty years ago a
Indiana University. I refer to the fol-
lowing definition: Life is a definite
combination of heterogeneous changes,
both simultaneous and successive, in cor
respOndence with external cO-existenCes
and sequences As attempted to read,
these sO-ca4ied -simplified schedules l
wish the commission would knock the
prOlixity and circunlocutiOn out Of the
simplifying details and diffuse particulars
of them.
SUCH ELEGANT
LANGUAGE"
Let the Ioquacious super-expert IN
derstaud Ia making rate schedules he
must not revel in the pOmpOsity Of SEES
Quipedalian verbiage. Electricity Is a
mystery-why make electric rate sched-
ures more mysterious than electricity it.
self? I seriously doubt that MI Perry
(president Of the indianapolis Light 4
Heat Company with his thirty years OF
experience in the electrical world, can
intellisibly explain the meaning Of many
sections Of his proposed 'simplihed
schedules"
So saying, the brief contends, since
electric residence and power rates were
raised July / 1920. because OF the war
and aftermath Of war conditions, It now
behOOves the commission to modify the
charges since the war condition has
passed and postwar conditions are
passing.
The evidence shows a gradual decrease
in the cost Of labor, coal and supplies
and IN the actual cost Of generating the
current per kiIowatt hour says the
brief. From Jan. 1, 1920, to Dec. 81.
1920. it cost SO0566 per kilowatt hour to
generate the current. while from July 1,
1920 TO June 80, 1920. It cost S.OO559 per
kilowatt hour. In May and June. 1921,
il cost SO0JC9 to generate a knowatt
hour.
COMPANY'S REPORT
SHOWS WIDE MARGIN.
The indianapolis Light and Heat
COmpany's figures show q gross income
from July l, 1920. to June 30, 1921 Of
S6S6, 6ST.2I. The property or plant value
Of the company as shown by the books
is ST.2Ol 5000. Therefore the pr cent
. MS
this book value is 9.54 per cent. The
respondents adjusted figures on the
company's gross income is shown to be
S1.t92, 1924 and the book value of the
plant 70 be 1892. 625 q, which adjusted
gross income would represent return Of
14.9i Der cent"
The city arrived at the conclusion that
the cOmpsny's gross income is more than
10000 greater than the utility admits
it to be from an investigation conducted
by the citys expert accountant.
In suggested schedule of rates, which
is about one-fifth as long as that pro-
posed by the utilities. the city would
cut out dozens of the highly technical
paragraphs under which obscure charges
now are made, particularly as to those
affecting power users.
IF this sort of thing is done, the COM
mission wiz nave gone a long way to-
ward protecting the residence user
agains- the unlawful and lneuutable
practice of certain so-called power users"
says the brief
WOULD REMOVE
SMOKE SCREEN.
Remove the screen behind which Ger
tain So-called power users are operating
and they will cease cheating. both tt
utility and the users. Simplicity is the
sunlight for all rate schedules. Let in
the sunlight Of simplicity and all the
bunk and junk Of many Of the proposed
'simplified' schedules will vanish as the
dewdrop in the morning sun.
There should be no demand charge in
residence schedule A-the minimum
charge should be restored to what 1t
was in 1915 to 192O-5O cents per month
"The minimum charge should be the
demand charge in all power schedules
as this commission has consistently found
in all electric cases tried before them.
1.-The contract should not be for
longer period than one year, with the
self-renewinG clause in It
Such an order should be made by the
commission. as will in the future pre-
vent any one from taking the service as
q power use- and reselling it to others
at an advanced rate or from taking the
service at power rates and using it for
residence purposes. This practice is IN
fair AMI discriminatory.
''In conclusion, we ask the commission
to make such order as will establish a
fair and just rate for both the consumer
and utility. We believe the evidence war
rants the removal of the emergency
charge Of 1 per cent per kilOwat hour
which was placed on the residence users
rate in July, 1920, and a reduction OF
from mills 10 - mills on the power
users rates"
ACTORS TO GO BEFORE RoTARIANS.
Mildred Harris, formerly Mrs. Charlie
Chaplin, and Harry Breen, comedian both
appearing at Keith's theater, will appear
before the Indianapolis Rotary Club at
its weekly luncheon at the ClaypooI Ho-
tel Tuesday.