Evening star., 1938-05-22

The proposal OF its Public Utilities
Committee urging the County Board
to take immediate steps for the estab-
lishment of a county-owned electric
distribution system will be made the
first order of business at the next
meeting of the Arlington County (VaD
Civic Federation, to be held Tuesday,
June I, in the Lyon Park Commun-
ity House.
The report of the committee was
submitted at the last regular meeting
by Robert E. Plymale, the chairman,
but action was delayed pending the
printing of copies of the committee re-
port for distribution to constituent
associations for consideration. These
copies have been distributed. and
member associations of the federation
are instructing their delegates how
to vote at the next federation meeting.
Survey Authorized.
The committee report is the result
of action taken by the County Board
several months ago when $4,000 was
appropriated to hire the firm of Wiley
g. Wilson, consulting engineers Of
Lynchburg. Va. to make survey on
the feasibility of county-owned pow
er system.
The Public Utilities Committee find
ings agree with the engineers report
in that a county-owned power plant
idea is discarded as impractical but
the committee feels that the distribu-
ton system. with current purchased
from existing sources at wholesale
rates, will provide a solution to the
present problem of obtaining adequate
service to all of the people of Arling-
ton County at an equal and reason
able rate"
The engineers survey was ordered
in the first place by the County Board
because of the existence in the county
Of two power companies which charge
different rates for the same types OF
service.
The companies are the Braddock
Light g. Power Co. of Rosslyn, a sub
sidiary of the Potomac Electric Power
Co. of Washington, and the Virginia
Public Service Co.. which serves the
majority Of users in the county and
most of the rest of the State.
Rates Like d. C.
Rates charged by the Braddock
company are similar to those existing
in Washington. which are believed
by county residents to be compara-
lively low. However. the Braddock
company serves only that area of Ar
lington County lying between Court
House road and the Potomac River.
Notwithstanding several rate reduc-
tions by V. P. S.. the Braddock rates
are approximately 18 per cent lower
for residential customers and about
% per cent lower for commercial
users. the committee points out. Based
on the engineers report (Which has
been placed before the County Board
and is now under consideration by
that body the federation committee
points out the v. P. S. is collecting
$82 300 annually more than it would
collect at Braddock rates. which means
an annual additional bill of So for
residential users and $23 for COM
mercial users.
About -tenths of county resi-
dents are denied the services of the
Braddock Co., Mr.. Plymale's group
pointed out. because the Virginia
State Corporation Commission denied
the Braddock Co. the privilege of ex-
panding its service in the county.
The engineers proposed both
munty-owned power plant and dis
tribution system and the installation
of distribution system alone. bonded
Indebtedness against both of which
are calculated to be retired over 25-
year period, at rates now in effect by
the Braddock Co. The engineers
went into the economical aspects OF
a county-oWned electric business and