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Show Semis issued' !B!TmiiGOM?l! Dirj Increase in Revenue Passengers Noted Over Last Year. In tho monthly statement filed hy Man-a-tr II. F. Dlcke of the Cta'n I.is:;t &. Traction company with the public utilities util-ities commission, it is shown that during May, 1015, &3H more revenue passengers were carried by the company's cars than duri.ns the co! responding period of May 2 to June 1, inclusive, 1018. The total this year wan 2,7S:,:J5 passengers, of whom per cent paid cash fare of C cents eyrh. With tiie increased fare3 in force by the order of the utilities commission, the company's revenue during tho month was $I."j2,G92.1ii, which was $12,310.03 more than for the corresponding month a yenr ao. i vy,c rating expenses also increased, but only S.'!2';.0, leaving an increase m the net levcnue from operri.Lii.ui, n Hiking mi allowance for depreciation, of SUil. :.". The net revenue in May, 1019, was &.y) 0;. Air. ricko In his letter accompanying the report says in part: "With respect to tho increase in net from operation, I want to say for your information ttiat we have not as yet for this year increased our maintenance k'anss for the purpose of doing the usual amount of maintenance work during the summer season." Mr. Dieke shows that expenditures for repairs to paving for May, 19 1 9, were $11 til. -10, as compared with 00oC.lS in May last year. In maintenance of equipment expenses, Mr. IMeke. notes a decrease from !fi 9.07 in May, 1918, to ?S418.55 in May, 1010, a difference of $11175. C2. ' "On account of the adoption of the si: ip -stop system, together with some curtailment of service," the letter reads, "a saving in cost of power was also effected ef-fected from S14.04S.65 in 191S to $13,-23(3.05 $13,-23(3.05 in 1919, a decrease of STS5.C0. "Without going into further details, yon can readily see that if the same ii.moiint of maintenance work had been done during this year as last, there would not have been any increase in net earnings, earn-ings, but, on the other hand, a decrease. "It is altogether needless for me to say to you, I know, that maintenance work deferred does not mean having done your duty, but it means only deferring the day of reckoning." Published statements, attributed to a committee of merchants of Ogden, an organization or-ganization of retail dealers, In regard to the public utilities commission of Utah, were called to the attention of that body yesterday, with the result that some of the statements are denied point blank, while other intimations are also denied. It was declared in tho published article ' that the Utah Power & Light company was "said to be" charging 10 . cents per kilowatt hour for light service in Ogden, whereas the franchise under which it was operating in Ogden city called for a maximum max-imum of 9 cents. It was further alleged that the higher rate was named in schedules sched-ules on file in the office, of the commission, commis-sion, which in this case had power to overrule the franchise. While in accord with the decision of the supreme court, tho public utilities commission might have power, after a hearing, to overrule the ' franchise, it is pointed out by members of the commission commis-sion that there has been no hearing and that the rates on file with it are either the same as mentioned in tho franchise, or are lower. Further, In correspondence with the city attorney of Ogrfen on the matter six months ago, it was pointed out that this was the case, and attention atten-tion was called to the fact that Ogden had a perfect right to a hearing in case of any .complaint against the power company. com-pany. M. H. Aylesworth, assistant to the g-encral manager of the Utah Power & Light company, further asserts that no rate Is charged In Ogden in excess of the franchise rates, and that none could properly be charged unless a proper showing was made at a public hearing before the commission. The committee named In the newspaper newspa-per account is made up of W. R. King, A. B. Foulger and B. F Hundley. They are said to have told the merchants that one member of the commission was reported re-ported to be a heavy stockholder in the Utah Power & Light company. This is denied by the members of the commission, commis-sion, and, if true, would disqualify the member ' from holding office, under the terms of the public utilities act, it is said. |