Show UNION LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY when somewhat more than a year ago the consolidation was effected by which was created the union light and power company predictions were made and published to the effect that the movement would result in the oppression of the people of this city by an increase in the rates charted charged lor for electric lighting gus gas and power the company was said to be a trust and the usual objections to trusts were urged against it while a portion of the press and business men of the city took this view a reverse opil opinion nion widely prevailed the news expressed the belief to in effect that the organization of the union light and power company would prove to be a beneficent thing for this community and a large proportion of the business men and property owners of this city shared the same faith which was based largely larg ely on the character reputation and past course of the min men who were in control of the new and mammoth concern ample time has now elapsed since the union company began practical operations in this thie city to fully demonstrate what its policy really is and as aa figures comprise the strongest sort eort of arguments in a case of this kind a few will be given the company actually AJ began business in november last and at every meeting of the directors held since then the question of the greatest reductions that could be made in the rates for lighting has been discussed the purpose being to make them as low as possible at length at a meeting of the directors held last month a cut of 25 per cent all along the line was waa ordered before the union company began business and up to last month the rate charged for residence lighting was twenty cents per unit or one cent per ampere hour since the cut the rate to Is fifteen cents per unit or three fourths of a cent per ampere hour under the old schedule the rates tor for commercial are arc lighting were 15 10 and 8 per month according to the number of hours the present schedule to is 25 per cent less or 1125 and 6 prior to making its present contract with the union company the city was paying 1050 per month for street lights now it is paying 6 formerly the minimum charge to any customer for lighting was per month this has been reduced to 1 per month an important consideration to hundreds of poor families the facts relating to the lighting of the streets of this city and the manner in which an onerous contract is being lived up to reflect the highest credit upon the union company the city furnished the company a plot on which were indicated the points at which lights were to be located in many instances half a mile of poles and wire wira had to be erected to feed a single light in the south and southeastern portions of the efty city particularly the lights arb tar far apart and taking thi ohp city as a whole it exceeds any other in the united states in the extent of area lighted in proportion to the number of lights put up chrs condition combined with the extremely low figure at which the street lights are being furnished has been very burdensome to the coma com pany but it has fulfilled to the very letter the most exacting stipulations of its contract with the city including the free lighting of public buildings and grounds the uniform policy of the directors of the union company has been broad and liberal towards the public at great cost to the company and with no immediate prospect of reimbursement they have caused to be made marked improvements in the service the company is furnishing to its patrons it can be said and abundantly verified that the solicitude of the directors for the interests of their patrons and of the public generally to is sincere and genuine the directorate embraces men who have done as much as any others that could be named for the welfare and building up of this city and the entire state and they are not the men to pursue a narrow or selfish policy respecting the matter of furnishing natural gas there is in this to be said the gas wells have failed to meet the demands upon them and the company has been obliged to make up the deficiency fici ency by providing manufactured coal gas the amount of the latter has exceeded one half the total amount consumed in the city since the union company began busi business fiess yet it has been furnished at the price charged for natural gas namely 60 cents per 1000 feet the loss to the company in furnishing manufactured gas at this price has been very heavy and unless the flow from the wells becomes sufficient to supply the demand the company will soon be obliged to cease furnishing gas at the present price such to is the record that has been made by the union light and power company proving to a demonstration that its purpose spirit and genius are broad liberal progressive and benen cent and that it is wholly destitute of evory every feature f that goes to make a trust objectionable what it has al ready done inspires the fullest bonfi dence that it will continue to consider conscientiously the interests of the public and to furnish light and power at the lowest living rates |