Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-11-24

Posters, Circulars and
Tickets .......... 5000
Total Disbursements 800. $956.81
At this point it should be noted
that Mr.. Thompson, as well as the
rest of the Benefit Committee,
headed by c. German Griffith, of
Gaithersburg, donated all super
visory and promotional services for
the benefit series without any
charge whatsoever. Likewise, the
eleven teams which played the
benefit games did so without any
reimbursement in money or kind,
except couple of old baseballs
that were left over at the end of the
series. That, of course, is what they
bargained to do because it is what
they wanted to do for such
worthy community project.
But least We be not fooled about
the $2,10050 realized by the Agri-
cultural Center, you are reminded
that the Center, like the average
housewife, has to dip into its little
old budget and pay the Potomac
Electric Power Company for big
batch of juice called electricity. In
this particular game of three
handed Canasta, Pepco turns up
holding ell f",.r jokers and the
eight wild cards. Here's why.
The light meter on the Gathers
burg field is what the A.C. DC.
people call a demand meter. The
instant the lights are turned on,
Pepco's bookkeeping machine oper-
ators punch a key that makes an
entry demanding some $500 just
as quick as you can flip a light
switch. Thirty days later friendly
Pepco representative reads the
meter and renders a bill for all
the juice actually used, plus the
$500 originally demanded for the
privilege of using said juice. Thal
begins another thirty-day, kilowatt
cycle that goes, flip, flash, 300
bucks, plus so much per kilowatt
hour in accordance with the pre-
scribed routine.
But that is not all of Pepco's
take. At home you can avoid light
bill by not using the juice for
thirty days. Not so, however, at the
Gaithersburg Athletic Field where
Pepco charges flat $33. per
month for not using the lights.
What does this amount to in dol
lars and cents? The lights at the
Agricultural Center were used for
Is ballgames and horse show
sponsored by the Center. These 16
events took place over 60 day
period or two thirty-day cycles at
$500. per cycle. That amounted to
5000. for the privilege of using
electricity, plus some $500. for
expended electrical current, or
$500. in round numbers for the
season.
Since September 9. 1949, the
lights have not been turned on but
1t is costing $500 per month not
to use them. Seven months later
when the 1850 baseball seasons
rolls around, this non-use of cleo
tricity over the Fall and Winter
seasons will have cost about 1892.
Add this figure to $500. and it
becomes obvious that Pepco will
collect about $1,032.0O or roughly
half Of the $2,1OO.50 which the
baseball benefit turned over to the
Agricultural Center.
Thus it seems that Pepco was CO.
beneficiary of the nocturnal blood,
sweat and base hits shed by the
two local baseball leagues on be-
half of the Montgomery County
Cooperative Agricultural Center.
Small wonder then that we have
such federally-fina programs
as IVA. and the Rural Electrifi-
cation Administration. If anybody
has a diesel powered portable cleo
trical generator handy that he
wants TO unload, he might wheel it
into the next meeting of the Board
Of Directors for the Agricultural
Center. No doubt they will be will