Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-08-01
IDAHO POWER co.
SEEKS RELIEF

The forecast contained lin this cor
respondence a few days ago has beer
borne out by the filing of suit In
the United States court by the Idaho
Power company against the Idaho
public utilities commission asking
for review of the orders of the com.
mission as to power rates and relief
from what is alleged to be harrass-
ing and conf1scatory orders.
Declaring that there is no other
recourse to prevent condition that
would prove ruinous to the company,
that it takes the step reluctantly and
that there is no real controversy be-
tween the company and it's consum-
ers as a whole as to rates and SER
vice, General Manager w. r. Put
nam made statement to the public
giving the company's side of the con-
troyersy.
Less Return Than Granted
Mr.. Putnam said the company had
hoped the rates as fixed by the COM
mission a few months ago would be
given a fair trial before any further
proceedings. He pointed out that
the company had been before the
commission almost continuously for
the past four and half years in an
effort to secure a fair judgment.
During all that PERIOD" he stated,
sit has received a less return than
the meagre return to which the COM
mission in its decision of last De-
cember said it was entitled to and
this on a valuation which the COM
pany claims is far less than the true
value of the property"
Not Given Fair Trial
Contending that the rates fixed a
few months ago, effective March 1,
1924, had not been given a fair trial
nor could be in less than a years I
time, Mr.. Putnam stated that the re-
suits under these rates thus far in
Heated conclusively that "they will
not yield more than the meagre re-
turn to which the commission held
he company was entitled, and will
yield substantially less"
This conclusion is fortified and
he proceeds" by the
reports filed with the
by the analysis of such
eports by the commissions engineer
nd by the recent report by the rate
xpect employed by the commission.
Notwithstanding all this" he
ontinues, "the commission has con-
inued to issue orders for further
decreases, the effect of
yhich would be ruinous."
Company Hampered
Stating that there is no real con-
-oversy between the company and
s consumers as a whole as to rates
r service, Mr.. Putnam concludes
is statement
1.-THE rates established by the COM
ission are not only so low in the ,
ygregate as to restrict and hamper
lie company in the development of
S business and in maintaining and }
spending its services as the needs 7
the communities require. but in :
Ieir particular aspects are so con-
ructed as to preclude a proper bal r
ice between rates for the various :
asses of service. The Idaho Pow :
company wants to give it's con- :
mers as a whole the cheapest SER L
ce which is compatible with the =
keep and development of the prop :,
ty and thus insure the continue =
IN of good service, and wants to do >,
stribute the cost of service as re- >,
cted in the rates between consum- n
as to secure to each consumer as =
arly as practicable the rate to :,
lich he is entitled without throw j.
g on one class of consumers a por- -
IN of the cost of serving other =,
lsses." 81