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Show NEWHOUSE OFFERS TO BUILD MODERN PLANT AND LOWER THE RATES I AN OEN LETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL. j My attention has ben railed to a proposition recently H (J made by the Utah Light and Power company, requesting that -s S your honorable body grant to them certain privileges, im-linl- H ing an extension of the present franchise, for an additional f 1 ffi term of fifty 3'ears, and authorizing therein an advance in rates 5 g charged on certain items of service. " & Mindful of the future welfare of our city, and as one of its j citizens, always desirous of its legitimate advance, I possess a, j f lively interest in the action thus proposed for the benefit of the Utah Light and Railway company. It is prooer that the city S officials take forward steps in all public'affairs, and in the con- 2 fsirieratiou of a franchise covering the lighting service of this s cifvt and there certainlv is no valid reason why an advance f 3 should be jK-rmitted in what are now UNREASONABLY S IIKill AND EXTORTIONATE CIIARCJES. g Those familiar with the production of electric energy ft S know that in recent years the perfection and development of f g generating and distributing apparatus has tended towards a S S gifeatly reduced cost, and the city should proceed with extrenn g S caution in granting franchise rights covering the long term asked tluit will tie the people tight in the grasp of a corpora- ; tion which is now making subtle effort towards further cliiich- f ing its privilege to FURNISH AN INDIFFERENT SERVICE . AT AN EXORBITANT RATE TO THE LIGHT AND OAS CONSUMERS. Before granting the extension of the franchise requested. I would resn'ctfully suggest that you investigate the matter ) of rates charged for similar service in other portions of the United States, always bearing in mind that with the splenditL & water powers now used in producing our city supply the cur- f) rent is probably made as cheaply here as any point in the Uui- j ted States, with the exception perhaps of the Niagara falls and S one or two other large water power plants. 8 g The people of the city must pay the bills aud must use the S light, and in granting rights to a public utility corporation to 8 serve them, they are primarily entitled to two things: OOOD SERVICE AND FAIR PRICES. The city should not alone protect its light and gas users, but also deal fairly with the ft g men who have invested their money in the present electric jf S plant, insisting that they in turn deal fairly with the consum- I ers. It is obligatory ujhhi the lighting company, as a public I utility corporation, to give good service at as fair rates as cities S of this size are usually supplied. Do they do this? WILL S THEIR .RATES STAND COMPARISON WIT1I THOSE I S CHARGED IX DENVER, COLORADO SPRINGS, PUEBLO, 1 OR EVEN SOME OF THE SMALLER TOWNS? Such a franchise as you are asked to grant is of great j 1 value. In conclusion I have to say that if the city will grant g g me a franchise for electric lighting, imposing reasonable re- S S strict ions, and protecting the consumer by providing for a S g first-class service at rates ranging FROM 25 TO .15 PER CENT g yy BELOW those named in the ordinance you are asked to enact, I will undertake the organization of a conipanv POSSESSING AMPLE CAPITAL TO ERECT A STRICTLY MODERN ELECTRIC LIGHTING PLANT FOR SALT LAKE CITY. $ Yours trulv, I . SAMUEL NEWHOUSE. k l-ggg8-gAg gx3e |