Ross Stliver, Accountant For B 40 v*^ &~*sr*4'/hrj.Years, Retires Tuesday ' The days back in 1916 when Hydro did its own house wiring and when there were less .than 800 electrical customers in the entire city were recalled this week by Ross C. Stiver, account- ant with the Belleville Utilities Commission, who retires March 31st after 48 years' service. Thursday evening Mr. and Mrs. Stiver were guests of honor at a retirement banquet. Attending were Mayor John R, Ellis, Utility Commission offi- cials, and more than 50 Utilities employees. Half a century ago household- ers were just beginning to appreciate the convenience of electric stoves and other appli- ances, but hydro linesmen had almost to wage a small war to get wires through the maze of trees and into houses. In fact Mr. Stiver recalls one linesman having a warrant sworn out for his arrest for "butchering" shade trees on Victoria Ave. The linesman hid out in Frankford until the heat was off, then returned in the night to trim the trees and run his wires--before the objector was up in the morning. ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN Those were the old days when almost anything could happen - - and usually did. For instance during the 'flu epidemic of 1919, when hydro repairmen were sick in bed, Mr. Striver as utilities account- ant on one occasion was actu- ally called out to give emer- gency service* Today the number of hydro users in the city has increased to nearly 10,500 and the utili- ties' monthly tab for power has increased from $1,200 to whopping $90,000. But over the years domesti hydro rates have steadily creased and are no\tf being on] a fraction of those 50 year: ago. To iilusitra'te .Mr. Stiver com pared his present electric bU of $8.45 for 1,200 kw. to S76.8| which would have been the bi at 1916 rates for the sam1 amount of power Actually the Belleville Utili- ties Commission did not exist in[ 1916. The electric utility was then owned and operated by Ontario Hydro. The city purch- ased the distribution system in 1929 at a cost of $181,523. Since 1916 city overhead lines have been rebuilt three times and there are nowr five sub-stations 1 and plant and equipment is valued at four and a half million dollars. The Utilities took over thei city water distribution system and gas plant operation in the late 1930's. The gas plant longj ago ceased operation but last year the utilities took over bill- ing and collection of a portion of the expense In connection with the sewage disposal plan. AWAY ONLY 34 DAYS Mr. Stiver's 48 years with the Utilities has bejen almost full time. In fact, he feels he has established some kind of a record for being "on the job" and during the entire, period has been away from work only 34 days due to illness. A former Kiwanian and past chairman of the Belleville Navy League Branch, Mr. Stiver has no particular hobby to keep him busy in retirement although he admits to "doing a bit of wood- carving". Also in the summer months he likes to do a spot of fishing. He has two sons, Bert a,:i conductor on the Nickle Plate] Railway in Northern U.S A. and| Edwin, a corporation assesso: with the income tax branch a Belleville, and a daughter, Dor- een, living at home. Th« Intelligence*,