Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-12-15

During the past four weeks the
Journal has given clear and concise
description Of the physical properties
of the Idaho Power company as these
properties will enter into and have a.
bearing on the questions about to be
taken up, as well as on the progress
of the whole of southern Idaho.
Following the footsteps of all big
corporations the Idaho Power com
pany has taken as its slogan. I'VE
are entitled to just return on the
money invested Unthinkingly peo-
pie will answer they certainly are
But are they?
Why should they be guaranteed a.
just return for the money they have
invested any more than the farmer
the newspaper, the merchant, or the
manufacturer? They are entitled to
a just return if they can earn it, but
not at the expense of the people any
more than is the farmer, a merchant,
or any one else.
They are a creature of the people,
their life is given them by the people
and the people can take it away, can
destroy it or can build it up and make
a useful creature serving the public
out of it. To this end they created
the Public Utilities Commission with
power to regulate and control the cor
poration in the interest of the people
who gave it life.
To determine what would be fair
rate to charge for the service and the
electricity the Public Utilities Com
mission desired to know the cost of
the physical properties of the COM
pany. The company has filed inven-
tories, cost sheets and other data
with the board and it is up to the
board to determine the cost of the
properties. The company has valua-
tion on different basis before the COM
mission, that run all the way from
s13,O00O0O to s20,O00,0O0 and it will
be upon the valuation allowed by the
commission that all rates in the fu-
ture will be predicated. So the COM
pany adopted the slogan, 1--WE are en-
titled to a fair return upon the money
we have invested. Very plausible
and catchy.
Labor has demanded a wage scale
based on a decent standard of living.
But that, as a noted spellbinder once
said, is another question, one not en-
tering into the present situation at
all.
Why should the Idaho Power COM
pany be guaranteed fair return upon
the money it's stockholders have in
vested any more than the newspaper
or the farmer. Because it is regulated
by the Public Utilities Commission
say the power people and cannot use
it's own initiative in making charges
for it's product.
So is a newspaper regulated. 1t can
not print certain kinds of advertise
ments: it cannot run above a certain
amount of advertising in proportion
to it's reading matter without running
into the danger of losing its franchise
through the mails In other ways,
too, newspaper is regulated but II
cannot demand a fair return on its
money invested. 1t has to take
chance on being able to earn 1t ana
not earning it must fail or earning
it make good with the public Botn
serve the public.
All of which being set forth reyerts
the question to the making OF rates
This question is Of vital importance
TO the householder who uses the nshl
in his home. and cooks with II De-
sides cleaning his house and othef
uses, to the manufacturer who uses
power TO the merchant who uses
light and directly or Indirectly 70 eF-
cry person ~ the state
u the Public Utilities Commission
allow the yaluation OF fls'ooV'o0V az
being the basis Tor the eonpenys
earning pogei, and that h . fair basis
then INC charges 70 the consumer p'N
hs based on this figure in de'e'n''n'
inF the gate he wa beye 20 pay -
ihe fptufe "a vil Include pp' '''f
iniefeai ~ this money bpi eepff''p
tlou fgatber Ule term fep'affN'N'
value ahosle b. use9 sF usee NJ u'e
fempangl efpensep N sN h'paf s'F