The people's voice., 1948-12-03
SEED FOR CVA

OEED FUN IVA
At the close of the Public Service Commission hearing
Thursday of the complaint of 6 Hamilton residents against
oo boost IN electricity rates recently granted Montana Pow
Company, observer remarked "Given time
lows could canonize Satan Of he referring
the able representatives of the power company
Ihelr arguments were powerful For example:
Should electric heating of homes become popular
would be faced with outlay
heavier line and transformer installations
That peak load for electric heating the
me OF year and same time of day does the company other
peak loads This would seriously tend towards overaxng
existing transmission facilities.
Equally powerful their Inconsistencies:
They contended, because of Montana Power being a
types OF heating Then followed half hour discourse the
desirabiy of electricity heating partc-
ularly in these times of high prices the latter two.
Likewise they all sundry financial con-
sideraons had movated the request the
consumption 1000 XVIII last August Then
followed full hour lecture how operaonal and consruc
on costs had doomed hundred per
that the former c per XVIII money-losing propositions
that struggle the first magnitude for MP pay
the usual 61 return to stockholders.
Note Although the question wasn't asked, it to
several peoples minds Ii the MP Co. can still pay the
usual Sc without general rate increases during the
years and IN the face OF pyramdng operating costs then what
kind of profits the monopoly extracting from Montana
consumers before costs became so nflated?)
Further, they contended that they attempting
to discourage heating Of homes by &s
the clock slowly licked for another hour they proved
the satisfaction of all presenthat in the eyes of Mp such
juice drain not at 1c per XVIII
But from the other the hearing
More than 20 Hamilton families had installed electric
heating units their homes S400
because at 1c XVIII they could by also insulating their
homes heat just about cheapy had formerly been the
with coal OIL and addition have of the
veniences commonly associated with either of the latter
Heating of some of the homes entirely pred
icated electricity and chmneys hadn't been built.
Now, if the 2c rate permitted to stand these 20
odd families will be forced to either almost nsumoun
able monthly heating BILL other form of
heating
the where home owners converted from coal
oil to electricity further not only the
loss the $4O0 investment electrical heating equipment
also the added of another heating system for either
coal or OIL
In the instant of homes, there will only
cost of second heating SYSTEM but in instances the
redesgnng accommodate such system
materially damage the architectural attractveness
homes u
Not only did the protesting home feel that the
of heating under the 2c would be almost impossible
aso they felt they had been betrayed Almost everyone
them had checked with MP Co. officials found the
latter considered electric heating feasible and that the
company always happy to have outlets for juice
the then 1c rate The prosans also pointed
they had accepted good faith the Montana Power
Electricity is pentifuand CHEAP in Montana"
These home learning to their that
unlike the competitive FREE ENTERPRISE they entirely
at the mercy of monopoya monopoly which very
existence pledge of to the people
Looking at the hearings in retrospect and being tt
authority the various costs (actua and oherwse that
of the monopoly may presented better
Continued Page Five)