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Show II Power Co. Protests I II Bond Election and Asks Investigation II Calling attention to the fact that a no facts or figures bava been presMit-m presMit-m cd to Justify tho allejcaUons madv puh-U puh-U llcly that the present clectrlr light m and" power nervier Is poor and the rates 9 exorbitant, the Utah Power & Light company, in a communication sent to tho board Of city commissioners, pro-9 pro-9 poses that a thorough investigation be made of the entiro system. I The communication is the result of rrrcnt discussion in Ogdn of tho fas- IbtUty and desirability of calling a m bond election to vote on the Issuance I of $500,000 for th construrtlon of a I municipal light and power plant PROPOSE M,t CR1 I i ji It Is proposed in the ommunlcatlon I f i j that a committee be appointed to ln-I ln-I i Si 13 vestlgate and mako a thorough study I i,1 of the light company's rat. Invi '-I '-I .! j ment and other Items and to submit ' ' E report. Tho communication sets I ; . forth that if the findings show that I ' P r1 mtcs are too high and the company is' I f Ij j making mor.- than fair returns, tho I S h'-H city will bo in a position to demand H I1 fit sufh readjustments. In the event I l! that such readjustments are not forth- 1 j mlnK. the company suggests that H a j l&pport "f tho bond issue would be Tho communication, signed by A. P-j m il j Merrill, division manager of tho light 3 i rompnny, follow: J "Gpntlr-nv-n : I t M "We have learned through state-I state-I V ij ments In the public press and by rc-fl rc-fl i J ports from other reliable sources that 9 i t1 your honorable body Is proposing to M i submit to tho qualified electors of Og-fl Og-fl jl ijli o'on City, who arc property taxpayers, 9 jii j! 'b question of authorizing the Iasti6 M ' j Of $500,000 of municipal bon.ls lor tho I j j purpose of providing a municipal elec-9 elec-9 J ., j trie light and power plant or system. 9 j I It hap been stated that thi rf.i'unri as-9 as-9 ' J' signed for this proposal arc that Ogden 9 .1' City Is not fairly treated by this com-J com-J .r j; pany In the matter of rates and M 1 charges for electric service; that thej fta j! existing rates are urni.vonable, and H j J( that this company is exacting an ex-9 ex-9 , ;1 OOasiVe profit from tho users of elec-j 9 , JJ Oldty in Kt- n City, ami that no re-i - j lief f an bo hail xcept through mull?! mu-ll?! 1 nlclpal ownership, NO C IMPLAINT M in 9 i l "We beg to call your attention to na 'j Th fact that no complaint, elthor U Jl from your honorable body or other- jj' wise, has been made to this company, M ,' or to any public authority, as to the M , 1 rates or charges for services, or as to the unfair or oppressive methods said 9 'I'vtl be usd by the company In Its treat -M I'lfl ment of Ogden City or its citizens. 9J IM and there has been no specification 9J . :i of facta in support of such statements, iu ilal 'When these statements were first 9J 9 111 publicly made we naturally assumed MUM 'I'll That your honorable body would, be-9J be-9J fl ;,. J lore calling an election to voto liotols 9J v ': 1 ,fJ provide for a municipal electric 9J n j; light and power system, seek to ar-9J ar-9J i ango for such an Investigation of 9J Jl f these matters as would bring out all I 9J 2j j of the facts involved. Apparently, I 9J jl however, this Is not your intention, t 9J 3 ; and We are now reliably Informod that i 9J i j you proposo to Immediately can ,x boni 9J H j election, without Having first investl-9J investl-9J i ;j j trated the present electric service fur-91 fur-91 j . nlshed to thn City of Ogden and Its 9J ,3 3 cltlens In order to ascertain whether 9J y j thoro 1 any basis in fact for the itotl n ments abovp referred to oMMnvli;i; to iw I n'I'k; VTl . 9 , I "In view of these reports we desire 9 1 ,n definitely suggest for your ,nsi.l- 9J 1 j eratlon the proposition that before a bond issue is submitted to the voters on tills question, it Is due, not only to this company, but to the taxpayers of the City of ogden, that you Bccure definite and adequate Information such as will- permit the taxpaylng public to Intelligently vote on the question which you propose to place before, them, W also at this time desire to state that In the event you are prepared pre-pared to accept and carry out this proposal, and to defer the election on this Issuo until the conclusion of such Investigation and a determination by your honorable body as to whether the statements which have been made are Justified, we shall be glad to co-operate with you, or with such unbiased and disinterested citizens as you may appoint. In a complete investigation of the electric light anil power situation In Ogden, particularly with reference to the investment of this company ru ' sar' for providing the city with service, the charges made for such service, and the company's earnings from Us ogden business. Not only Is the above proposal an act of Pimple justice to this company, but It is certainly In the Interests of your constituents, many of whom are stockholders of this company. Such an investigation would enable us to give you and the citizens of Ogden the fullest Information, and so provide an Intelligent basis for the discussion of what at present are only unsubstantiated unsubstan-tiated and unsupported attacks on an Industry which we believe has done much to advance the Interests of this city, and which we consequently submit sub-mit should riot be condemned unless it has been first proven that such at-j tacks are Just mm i x s SURPRISE. "This attack on our operations In Ogden has come as a great surprise to us, in view of the fact that we believe tho service which we render Is probably prob-ably the only thinK purchaseable In Ogden today at less than pre-war rate-- We supposed that your honor-, aide body and the citizens generally realized the great additional burdens which have been placed on, thin company com-pany through the Increase In the cost oi labor and materials, und the rapid advance In taxes, and that consequent-' ly, so far from being made the sub-1 feet of attack, we felt that In not only not advancing rat.es. but actually do-' creasing rates from those which were in effect prior to tho commencement of the Kuropean war, we had won public commendation ami support- "We confidently believe that If you' make the Investigation herein sug- gested, you will find that our rates for, servlco are as low as it is possible to mako such rates and maintain acle-j quale service. Wo think yon will ad-, mlt that we have responded promptly to every demand of gden and Its ilt-1 lzens for electric power, and have been' and .are an Important factor In the Unbuilding of ogden We also believe , that the service wo have been able to render due to the number of plants and lines which can be combined to I serve this city, has been first-class I and far superior to that which, but for this diversity of plunts and lines, would Otherwise bC possible M M INADEQ1 MPE "We havo been informed that the bond Issue which you proposo for electric light and power purposes Is $500,000, an. I v. o would like at this time to hnriK tr your attention the absolute ab-solute inadequacy of any such mini tor 'he purposes which you anp.irent- lly have In mind, and to suggest to you that apart fpom the desirability ofj making an idvcstlgatlon Into our rates and services for the reasons previously previous-ly stated In this letter, such an lnves- tlgatlon would also provide you. and consequently the voters, with dependable depend-able Information as to the amount of 'money which would have to be voted i I by tho city In order to provide thej 'service which apparently you havo ln j mind- "It obviously Is due the la.xpayers, before they are asked to vote on the bond Issue for the purpose of provld-l 1 Ing a municipal elec tric light system. ! that some effort should be mah to definitely determine the amount of( Iraoncy necessary for such , program, and that these facts should be placed fairly and squarely before the voters. I, "Under th proposals you at present pres-ent have In mind, we wish to submit to you and the people of Ogden, that; jonly a small portion of the neoeSSmr 'amount of money is to be voted atj this time, and should these bonds car- ry. the city would consequently find itself committed to a far different program pro-gram In the way of total money re-j quired, than that which apparently Is. to be now placed before the taxpay-I taxpay-I crs. OFFER im okm i OS "We. therefore, beg to state, jf you! will defer the election on this issue. I w? agree to suhmlt to your honorable body or to such committee, rcpresen-! tatlvo of the city administration and the business interests and taxpayer:;, as you may appoint, all information I which may be desired as to our invest-, ment necessary' to serve Ogden, and as1 to our business therein, and our rates and charges for service, ho that the facts concerning the same may be laid before you, and your conclusions therein used as a basis for determln-1 1 Ing whether or not an election to pro-vlde pro-vlde a municipal plant ami system should be called. x ' "The findings of such a committee 'would necessarily be that either our rates are not too high, and we are not' nejw making more than a fair return on the capital actually invested in tho service of Ogden. or that such rates' are too high, and weVire making more than such fair return. If the former proved to be the fact, we are sure that your honorable body, and the citizens generally, would desire to stop further unfair attacks upon our business. Whereas, on the other hand. If It was found that our rates are too high and we are making more lb in su h f.ilr return, re-turn, you would be In a position to demand such adjustments as were fair to the people of gden. without plac-i ing upon your constituents an addl-; tlonal tax burden, and without exhausting ex-hausting the bonding powers of the' city and possibly thereby preventing the Issuance of bonds for other necessary neces-sary municipal purposes. In the event that such adjustments were not forthcoming, forth-coming, you could go to the people with the facts, and undoubtedly obtain, whatever support was necessary for. such a bond Issue as might be neces-sary neces-sary to provide ogden with adequate electric service at fair rates-" |