The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-03-22
 Light Rate
 Statement
Juneau, Alaska March 19 Ig46

-5A-+A A-A Aan AH4H To the reaidents of Alaska. and of ] Juneau in particular.
 Dear Fellow AIaskans.
 An incorrect statement has been made in the local press concerning i the average cost to consumers of i electricity in the city of WraugeL. . Alaska as furnished by Wrangel's s nunicipally owned light and pow er plant This incorrect statement appeared in an editorial in the March 5th issue of the Daily AL aska Empire. citing what purport- ed to be the amount of the averaLe monthly consumers bill in six cities in Alaska where electric ser vice is a municipal enterprise and comparing such amounts with the average monthly consumers bill in the town of Juneau under private enterprise
 First, let me. here state. that. as l Mayor of Wrangell and a Repre- Isentativa of the people Of Wran- l sell, ] have no interest in and do not wish to enter into the rate controversy now being conducted in Juneau. bur I do strenuously ob- ject to a fragrant misstatement of the average consumers cost for electric service in the city Of Wrangell under municipal owner ship as set out in the Empires editorial.
 This editorial states that the av- l craze monthly bill for electric service in the city of Wrangell is l s2252 under municipal ownership. as compared to S12.26 in the city | of Juneau under private owner | ship The amount stated for Wran- gell is far from correct. I have had rate expert check the figures appearing in the Empire editorial l The Empires figuress were based on monthly average use of 313I kilowatts Even using that amount of consumption. the average would be S14 IT instead of. as stated inI the Empire S22.52 But an aver ! age of 313 kilowatts does not apply in any sense of the word to the !. city of Wrangell. and I, and the lpeople of Wrangell object to hay | ing them used as a basis Upon a check of the Wrangell light plants books, I find that the ] average paid by householders per month in Wrangell for the entire 1 year 1945 is S4.7O per month. This is, indeed, far below the ay- craze of s22.52 as stated in the Empires editorial for the city of | Wrangell. Tn fact the largest monthly bill paid by the highest ! household user in the city of Wrangell during the year 1945 was s13.18. Even this. while by no means average, is far below the amount the Empire states is house ! hold average in Wrangell. The in- correct statement is poor publicity | for Wrangell, and that is my req son for making this correcting statement.
 i Additional facts about the mu- nicipally owned electric plant in l the city of Wrangell Alaska. I am sure will prove interesting
 Not one cent of tax money was eyer invested in the Wrangell nun icipally owned electric plant. The ] funds necessary for the initial pur- chase were borrowed, and this loan has been fully paid back en- tireIy from earnings of the muai- civally owned plant.
 The earnings Of the vlant for the period 1935-1945 were $S31.- 099.27 and the expenditures for the same period were $181, ,4S726 i leaving net profit of s149, ,612.01
 Many activities and Departments l have received benefits from the rrofits of our city owned plant
 From the profits of the plant it has been possible to secure loans for needed municipal Improvements such as our new concrete fire hall. During the ten years of munici- pal ownership of the Wrangel' light plant in lieu of taxes, the plant has furnished street lighting free ef charge. This item alone in .1945, amounted to s1,956 or $31,- -I1S6.5S for the entire period of municipal ownership
 The April 1. 1945 annual state ment of our light plant shows the light plant free and clear of all ? indebtedness and with cash bal ance of st5.79330; s2O,0OO in . war bonds and s15 922 owing to the light plant on loans to the
 City of Wrangell for municipal
 improvements upon which the city ? pays interest to the light plant. Q An inspection and report of the . Wrangell light plant was made at the request Of the Wrangell City Council February, 1946. by Fair : banks Morse Company. large pow . erhouse equipment concern, which [ report commented on the, and quote, "exceIlency of the manage