Evening star., 1922-05-23
ELECTRIC
RATES ARE DENIED
Power Company Official Ex'
plains Conditions in ArIing-
ton County.

| In connection with the Clarendon
Citizens Associations fight. for a re-
duction in electric light and power in
Arlington county, r. Ffshburn, dis
! trfct superintendent for the company
in the county, appeared before n meet
ing of the association last night and
declared that the financial condition
of the company will not at the pres
ent time permit of a lower rate, but
, that when it did a fight would he un-
necessary, as the company would take
the Initiative and a voluntary cut
would be made.
He pointed out that this course was
pursued by the company in Staunton,
Va, and was about to be adopted in
Salem, Va, and he assured the MEM
berS that it was the desire of the
company to reduce the rate just as
soon as possible. He presented figures
to show that operation and mainte-
nance expenses in the past few years
have been extremely heavy, caused by
the unparrelled growth of the county,
which has resulted in great expansion
OF the service. This expansion, he said,
coming as it did in such a headlong
fashion called for increased capital
more, in fact. than the company could
raise-and resulted in a demand on new
subscribers to pay not only the connec-
lion charge. but an advance on the
material costs, which they We're later
refunded. as well.
The company. he said, had, however,
recovered from this condition. and now
the new subscribers only have to meet
the connection charge of So.
II. c. Saffell told Mr.. Fishburn that
the associations greatest objection to
the present rate was the service
charge feature of 80 cents, which it
believed TO b. unfair, in view of the
fact that the company is allowed
minimum charge of 81.
To this Mr.. FiShhurn replied that
l,. % on
scale rate which averaged return of
Il1i cents per kilOwatt hour for the
average light customer. Figures pre-
Scnted by Mr.. FiShhurn showed that
during the year beginning April. 1871.
and ending March, 1922, that the com
pany had an average number OF l.9os
uStomerS. who used 539,O3l kliowatt
hours, making tOtaf revenue Tor
that period of s60,6Sl.II.
The utilities committee OF the asso-
citation. y. d. Mitchell, chairman. was
requested to continue its investiga-
tiurs of the question.
The census committee, according 10
the report of the new chairman. W.
+. Sunderman, is working on pan
in cooperation with the post office.
which it is believed and hoped VIII
give the association Il complete rec
ord of every man, woman ana chlld
in the community and VIII serve 10
make more efficient the delivery OF
All sections which are counted as
a mart of Clarendon. such as Lyon
Park and Ashton Heights. are TO be
included in the census taking. 1t is
proposed to send letter through
the mails to every home. stating
the OBJ jsCt of the census, and to in
close a blank which is to he filled
out and returned to the committee.
The committee urges the residents
not only to cooperate to the extent
of making returoS. but to do 1t
promptly. Any person raining 10
make a return as requested, accord
ing to Mr.. Sunderrnan. will bes sollc-
tied by a member Of the committee,
but he hopes the committee will be
saved this trouble.