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Show DEPOSITS ON METERS. " Representative Tobias has introduced a bill in the Utah legislature legis-lature which should pass. The measure is entitled, "An act compelling compell-ing corporations to pay interest on deposits for meters or other measuring devices." It provides that all corporations in the state exercising any rights under a franchise from1 the peoplo of the state, requiring a deposit from patrons, customers or consumers, for the installation in-stallation of meters and measuring devices, or for any purpose whatsoever what-soever incident to the service furnished by said company, firm or corporation, to its patrons, customers and consumers, pay 8 per cont interest on such deposits. The bill is a little faulty in its phraseology and should be man datory. Changed to read that tho corporations "SHALL pay 8 per cent interest on such deposits," the bill would be cured of one of its defects. Why should the Utah Light & Railway company exact a $10 deposit for a part of its equipment and fail to compensate those who turn over that $10 to tho exclusive use of the big concern? Tho company's charges for light are high enough to cover not only the cost of the energy consumed, but all the wear and tear, depreciation deprecia-tion on plant, interest on investment, meter outlay, etc., and then leave a big margin of profit. There is no valid excuse for compelling consumers to make a deposit de-posit on meters, except to guard against transients failing to pay their bills, and even that is not wholly justifiable as the elctric light company should take the samo risks all other business concerns do in dealing with the public. There may be a small per cent of bad collections, but the margin of profit of the light company is sufficient suffi-cient to allow for that loss and still leave the corporation quite beyond be-yond all danger of a receivership. |