Montana labor news., 1938-12-22
OPEN FORUM
An Open Letter 10
Public Service Com.
On Gas Use CHARGES
THE STATE
Great Falls, Montana

december 10, 1888.
Public Service Commission,
Helena, Montana
Gentlemen:
On November 9th we asked you
for information as to the natural
gas schedules in force in Great Falls
and also in Butte, and on November
18th you sent us copies of all sched-
ules in effect, for which we thank
you.
The Great Falls schedules for all
customers range from a maximum
of SIS cents per thousand cubic feet
to a 2O-cent minimum, with a mini
mum monthly bill of $1.5O per meter,
and for industrial purposes a mini
mum of 1715 cents. Great Falls
natural gas is piped about 81 miles
from the Shelby field to Great Falls.
The Butte schedules for general
service in all territory served by the
company range from a maximum of
As cents to a minimum of II cents,
with a minimum bill of 81 per month
including 1000 feet of gas. The
Butte natural gas is piped about two
and one-half times as far as the
Great Falls gas.
The Butte schedules were APP
proved November 6, 1885, over three
years ago, and during all of that
three years, the Great Falls gas
company has been charging our
Great Falls gas consumers 20 cents
more than Butte's maximum, and the
Great Falls minimum is $3.50 per
meter per month, while Butte's
monthly minimum bill is only 81.
We suggest that the Great Falls
rate should have been reduced at
the time, November 6, 1885, when
you approved the Butte schedule,
and you should have taken into con-
sideration the difference in the dis
lance the gas has to be transported.
So that the Great Falls gas company
has been plainly overcharging Great
Falls residents for more than three
years, last past.
We ask that you, on your own
motion, initiate proceedings at once
to reduce the local gas rates Of the
Great Falls Gas Company to a maxi
mum of 30 cents per thousand cubic
feet, and that the company be re-
quired to refund to gas consumers
in Great Falls all excess charges
over 30 cents collected by it since
November 6, 1885.
We call your attention to Art. XIV,
Sec. 8, of the Montana state consti-
tuition:
'The legislative assembly shall
have power to alter, revoke or annul
any charter of Incorporation existing
at the time of the adoption of this
constitution, or which may be in
corporated hereafter, whenever in
its opinion it may be injurious to the
citizens of the state"
Certainly mulcting the good peo-
pie of Great Falls like this for the
past three years "has been injurious
to them, and would warrant drastic
action by the coming legislature, and
the appointment of a receiver to
handle its affairs and make these
refunds to our gas consumers.
If the Public Service Commission
will act promptly in this matter il
will save having to take this up with
the legislature in january. You can
do this in a summary manner, SC
that our people will get the benefit
of this 30-cent rate this winter
Where they sell for a minimum Of
20 cents to some, they cannot justly
complain if the small householder
should get a rate of 80 cents. The
company is not losing any money or
its 20-cent gas, nor on its 17B-cent
rate for industrial purposes.
With kindest regards and best
wishes for you gentlemen personally
Sincerely yours,
The State Journal, by Jess H
Stevens, Mgr.