Evening star., 1939-01-20
Stability Is Shown
By Electrical Trade
During Year
Power Production Laos
Only 5 Per Cent
Behind 1887
ST. ecial Dispatch to The Star.

35th annual statistical number OF
Electrical World just published. Out
put for the year was 100000, 900 900
kiloWatt hours. only per cent be-
low that of 1887, as compared with
the drop in the general business
index of % per cent.
This was accomplished, the analy-
sis points out, in the face of Gov
ernment investigation. punitive leg
islation and subsidized competition,
mounting taxes. lower rates and the
enervating effects of a depression.
With higher general business levels
continuing into the new year and
with the new electrical output rec
ords set late in the past year, the
outlook for the industry is en-
couraging.
Early in November the output
curve crossed through the 1887 figure
and for three Christmas weeks
established new all-time highs,
easily topping the new highs estab-
lished in September of the previous
year. Significant also is the fact
that people and industries were
using better than "a per cent more
kilowatt hours in the unpretentious
year that was 1888 than in the BAN
ner year that was 1929.
Facilities Adequate.
The analysis also shows that there
is at the moment no critical short
age of power generation facilities.
In the nine-year period since 1929,
energy use has increased % per cent,
but at the same time the utilities
have augmented their generation
facilities by 23.5 per cent. Additions
in net terms to the generating plants
of the Nations electric power sys-
TENS amounted in 1888 to practically
100000 kilowatts. This represents
a 4 per cent gain for a year in
which output shrank even more
than capacity grew. The plants
were. therefore, or per cent more
capable of handling the demand
upon them than they were a
year ago.
The vigor of the industrys growth
is shown in total sales for 1888 of
3.4OO OOO,OO kilowatt- hours. All of
the important classifcations regis
tered increases over 1887, with the
major exception of 1T per cent
drop in industrial. Residential sales
increased l01 per cent to l8,6O000
600 kiloWatt-hours. farm sales in
creased SIS per cent to 2,500,000, 900
kilowatt-hours. commercial small
light and power sales increased 5.4
per cent to 1S,50O,OO0, 900 kilowatt-
hours and sales to electrified divi-
sions of steam railroads increased
1872 per cent to 1,4O0.0O0000 kilo-
Watt-hours.
Revenue Unchanged.
Despite the drop in output, gross
revenue of $2,172 750 900 was approx
imately the same as in 1887. The
loss in industrial billings was offset
by gains of SAL 900 900 in residential,
S11 100000 in commercial, $1,000 900
in farm and $85O0,0OO in general
municipal and miscellaneous rev.
enues. This year the average resi-
Dental bill continued its upward
march to a new high of s35.70-still
less than 10 cents per day Since
the turn in 1888. the average bill
has increased 9.65 per cent, but in
paying this increased bill the GUS
toner bought 434 per cent more
kilowatt-hours. The average rate
was at new low of AZ cents.
Expenditures for maintenance of
the electrical industry in 1888, in
Guiding municipality as we'll as pri-
vately owned properties, amounted
to SIG, 100000 This was 5.4 per
cent of revenue from ultimate con-
sumers and represents 8 mills per
dollar of the $4,000. 100000 invest
ment The tax bill of 1877 per cent
sent expenses to new high, never
theless operating ratio was held by
skilful management at the 37.7 per
cent figure of 1887.
Capital expenditures for new util-
ity construction continue to hover
between 100000 and s50O,000 900,
with preliminary estimates for 1889
at Sab 100000, down Az per cent
from 1898 and but per cent under
1887. The 1888 expenditures Of
$148, 900 900 for 1,465 900 kilowatts of
new generating capacity gave an
overall figure of SOL per kilowatt.
On this basis the new capacity
budgeted for this year will be just in
excess of 100000 kilowatts.