White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1922-12-22
TO REDUCE LIGHTING
RATES JANUARY 10th

IN etkiAAS = - w. eSAaNA
Company announces that a sub
stantial reduction has been
made in its rates Tor residential
Lighting services The new
rates are to become effective
on all meter readings taken on
and after January 10, 1923 and
will result in material reduction
of monthly charges to most
customers. In announcing the
new rates Mr.. Stafford, district
manager for the company at
Kennewick, made the following
statement:
"This reduction comes as a
result Of an exhaustive investi-
CATION which the company has
been carrying on for several
months in an endeavor to find a
means of adjusting its resident.
ial rates so as to merit custom
ers to make more liberal use Of
the service for lighting purposes
and for the operation Of house.
hold appliances without the
danger Of 9prohibitive bills. I'm
der the new rates probably IS
per cent of our customers will
enjoy reduced yearly charges
for electric service in their
homes and the balance will con-
sist of customerw having limited
consumptions where the cost OF
service does not justify reduc-,
tons. In, the new rates the
monthly minimum charges re-
main the same. The present
top rate is retained but for a
much smaller number Of Is. w.
Fl. The rate of 6.66c introduced
for all use over a limited amount
is much lower than any rate
available in the old schedule.
This very low rate becomes at
fective at point in the monthly
consumption which will make
it available to the average Gus
toner for the use of appliances
or for more and better lighting.
He can obtain more service for
the money he has heretofore
paid and can obtain any amount
of additional service at this
low rate of 6.66cs per Is. ". -.
The new rates reduce the COM
pany's revenue in the Yakima
I Walla Walla territory about
S50,OOO.00 per year. At $ the
present time the earnings Of the
company from it's electrical bus
mess are no more than sufficient
to pay operating expenses, de-
probation, taxes, and q fair
rate of interest or return on the
value of it's property, as fixed
by the Department of Publ"
Works. 1t is imperative thar
this level If G,rnings be main
tanned if tho edit of the com.
pany is to be 'r,tected so that
it can cor g: to borrow the
large amo Of new capital
required sccp pace with the
growing demands for service in
this territory.
Although the rate reduction
which is being made will pro
duce a large immediate drop in
revenue, the company hopes that
the customers will avail them
selves Of the opportunity to use
the service more literally and
that the increased sale of energy
under the lower rate will event
ually restore the company's rev
enues to q reasonable basis. The
present reduction is prompted
largely by the belief that it is
sufficient to stimulate increased
use OF service.
The Pacific Company has now
been doing bushes in this terri
tory for about IL years. Starting
with number of isolated and
relatively small plants it has
gradually built up a compre-
hensive interconnected system
of generating and transmission
facilities which practically guar
antees continuous and adequate
service at all parts of the terri
tory. and which is of a capacity
and fexibility readily adapted
to meet, economically, the
growth of business in any part OF
the territory. Until 1920 the
rates were kept at about the
same level as before this COM
pany acquired the property. BY
constant effort every possibly
economy in operations has been
realized and it was not until
in 1920, after the war peak Of
prices. that the company was
forced to increase. it's rates and
then only to the extent Of about
20 per cent.
One of the direct causes OF
that increase was that the com.
panY then had to 90 out of its