OCR Text |
Show StateRestrainedOn Power Rate Order The public utilities commission was temporarily restrained by an order issued Tuesday by Federal Judge Tillman D. Johnson, from penalizing the Telluride Tower company for failure fail-ure to put' into effect a 10 per cent reduction, as had been ordered by the commission some weeks ago. The Salt Lake Tribune, in commenting on the case, has the following: The commission is also restrained, pending a hearing on the power company's com-pany's request for an interlocutory induction, from interfering with the company in rendering bills and making mak-ing collections from consumers on a basis of the rates which were in force prior to the commission's order of December 12. The company was required to post a bond of $5000 to reimburse the customers cus-tomers in the event that in a final determination of the case it is held the lower rates shall apply. The court's order was issued pursuant pur-suant to a complaint filed by the company com-pany Monday asking that the commission's com-mission's order for a 10 per cent rate reduction be set aside. It was asserted assert-ed that the rate reduction would cause the power company's revenues to shrink to such a point that bankruptcy bank-ruptcy would ensue. The hearing for an interlocutory injunction in-junction will be held before a three-judge three-judge statutory court, one of whose members must be a circuit court justice. jus-tice. When Judge Johnson found that it will be impossible to convene the court before the week of February 5, he issued the restraining order. The judges of the Tenth circuit are now sitting in Oklahoma City and will be there until about January 30, Judge Johnson was advised. In taking action, Judge Johnson pointed out that unless the restrain-(Continued restrain-(Continued on last'page State Restrained On Power Rate Order (Continued from page 1) ;ng order was issued the power com-j lany would suffer "irreparable loss ' and damage" by being forced to choose either to obey the order of the commission and send out its bills based on the reduced rates or disregard disre-gard the commission's order and run the risk of incurring criminal and civil penalties. If bills were sent out on the reduced reduc-ed rate basis and they should later be set aside by the court it would be impossible from a practical st-md-point to collect the difference from the power company's customers. |