New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 3, 1920, Page 10

NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 1920. The Land of Fair Play Pay Your Own Way and No Discrimination, is the Guiding Principle in America, Home of the Square Deal Anmerica is known throughout the world as the Land of Fair Play—a rep- utation which was first acquired right here in New England. Some persons believe in fair play between man and man, but don’t consider that it should go so far as to include corporations. That is poor reasoning. Injustice to any part of a population is bound to affect every other portion in some way. We even learned during the World War that injustice perpetrated in the middle of Europe could reach out over three thou- sand miles of ocean and hurt us in this country. The new electric rates, based upon the Service-Charge idea, are in principle fair and equitable (1) to the individual consumer; (2) between one consumer and another, and (3) to the electric company. (1) The Consumer—The rates are fair to the consumer because they give him what he pays for at a most moderate rate. They require that the consumer pay his fair share of the office expenses incurred in taking care of his account, and of the plant expenses undergone in order to be ready to furnish a supply of current to his house at any moment. Then the consumer can use any amount of current he desires at about half the former charge per kilowatt hour. (2) Between Consumers—according to an authority of the highest stand- ing the Service-Charge rate question “is not at all between the company and the general public; it is entirely between the different classes of consumers.” Have you thought of it in this light? From the standpoint of the electric company, it is the hardest way of all to obtain increased revenue, because we must depend upon the greater use of our service, encouraged by the rate. A flat rate increase would be much easier for us. But whe- " rl: of the question of fairness between one group of consumers and another, you will see that this new plan is highly equit- able. It permits you who, let us assume, are using electricity to a reasonable ex- tent to obtain the current at a very low rate per kilowatt hour after having met the slight service charges; but it does not require you to pay for the convenience of someone else who makes but little use of the service. This is not theory, not sup- position—it is plain fact. (3) The Company—In principle the Service-Charge idea is fair to the Elec- tric Company. We are willing to attempt to make our business profitable by striv- ing for greater volume at a small unit of remuneration. We believe that the new form of rate, with its low energy charge will result in a large increase in business, and will furnish us with a sufficient amount of revenue to properly conduct the bus- iness. At the same time the cost to the average customer under the new rate will be lower than would otherwise be possible. When considering the question of fairness in relation to your Electric Com- pany, please remember that it has always been our policy to lower rates whenever improved methods or more economical management of our business made it pos- sible. Several such decreases were made between the year 1912 when the pres- ent management took over the business, and 1917, when our country entered the World War. Need for increased revenue since 1917 has been wholly due to in- creases in costs of labor, materials and other items—in many instances amounting to more than 200 per cent.—which have effected costs to an alarming degree. You pay much more for all your personal and household needs, and remember that the Electric Company has the same housekeeping problem that you have, only more intensified. This problem we are attempting to solve in a way fair, equitable and just to all. It is distinctly to your interest to make generous use of electricity for lighting and operating labor saving devices under the Service-Charge Rates which give you current at about half the former price per kilowatt hour after the service charges have been met. By helping yourselves to enjoy more fully modern conveniences, you also help us keep our rates low. To KNGW the “Service Charge” Plan is to APPROVE It THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT and POWER co.