Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-02-08
Protest Rates Charged by
Southern Utilities
Company
WILL GO INTO COURTS
Franchise Rate Supposed
to Be in Effect at 10
Cent Rate

Protesting the disregard by the
Southern Utilities Co., of its franchise
with the city in refusing to reduce it's
rates to the figure prescribed in the
franchise council last night instructed
the city attorney to proceed in the
courts to force the. company to reduce
it's rates and also named a committee
composed of Aldermen Pursley,
Waites and Van Horne, the city en-
gineer and the city attorney, to in
vestigate the feasibility of construct
ing municipal lighting plant and
the cost of such to be operated in con-
nection with the new city waterplant.
The session of council was one of
the lengthiest as well as stormiest
that has been held in some time. 1t
was nearly midnight when the alder
men buttoned their coats around their
shivering knees and started out into
the temperature that was decidedly
lower than that prevailing all even
ing in the council chamber.
In addition to the lighting matter
there was a general discussion of ma
ny routine matters, such general ad-
mission of the impotency of the sys-
tenn under which the city's affairs are
conducted that Alderman Pursley pro-
tested and a general agreement that
the cost of operating the city must be
reduced, though no remedy was pre-
scribed for actual adoption.
Johnson Wants Contract Enforced
Alderman johnson started the ball
rolling when he asked council what it
proposed to do about forcing the
Southern Utilities Co. to live up to
its contract with the city. He said
that the company has billed all sub
scribers for service at thirteen cents
per kilowat hour for curentr for the
month of January, despite the fact
that their franchise calls for only ten
cents since January l.. whats
contract WORTH" Mr.. Johnson asked,
eff we are not going to see that it is
carried out. think it is high time
that this council discharged some of
its obligations to the tax payers"
The discussion following this was
pso lengthy and general that it was
nearly midnight when adjournment
was finally taken after the Southern
Utilities Co.'s bill to the city for street
lighting had been held up.
The public service corporation
found no defenders on the board and
when the motion was made that the
city attorney be instructed to pro-
ceed in the courts against the cor
poration it was passed unanimously
Also the motion that committee be
named to investigate the feasibility
of constructing a municipal plant.
The situation in the electric light
case is similar to that of the gas
case which is now in federal court
The Southern Utilities company ha:
a franchise for use of the city's
streets for maintenance of its pole:
and wires for which it agrees to fur
: mis- hservice to the subscribers fol
electric current at the rate Of II
J cents per kilowatt hour on com
/ mercial basis. During the war, ant
Immediately thereafter production
, costs mounted so high that the cor
| poration petitioned council to gran
S them, for the period Of one year, al
: increase in the rate to is cents. Thi'
: was done. At the end of that veal
e another petition was filed, asking
t for an extension of another year
3 This also was granted and when ths
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