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unty (1liard pal', >4S1v tlii ii MACHINE .ys anîd 4id~ wil4sli1fig -witiî an MACHNE tioli ý-O Waukegan_ J I ing )tore ats If ;Tweed Nfix- ýs and Velours. bic colors. Ybu f~ I & J i s Numerous municipalities Ha ve Anticipated this Company in the M atter _of Hig her Rate. for Public Service A CONSPICUOUS EXAMPLE is suplied by the city of Joliet where water rates tLh ave been increased 150 per cent. In Ottawa the approximate advance i8 50 per cent. In Mendota, 50 per £ent--advance has been made. --In-Elgin there has been a à arp oost in the cost of water u sed inecs o 00cui et In Chicago Heights, the advance ini rates _will probably be 50 per cent. The May- or of that city is quoted as saying çven at that rate .the cost to consumers. will- be less then in many other cities. Many others like examples might be supplied. There is no complaint by the residents in these various places where the author- ities have taken such action. The people'rccognize its necessity. In view of7the fact that these advances, as said, range as high as 150 per cent and that they' been acc- epted uncomplainingly we have confidence that the justness of the increases of about 30 per cent we are askiiig authority to make will likewise obe acknowledged. In a prevIouýý advcrtisement we told you why we 1wcre corn- pelled toa ak for thes.- higher rates. The reasons can -be sIummIar-Iý ized again h'cre. W'e are selling our product at the saine rate as that prevaîling in. 191 4, wliereas the cost of cventhing that enters into jts moanu- facture haFi mounted skvward. Some basic articles have advanced 300 pur cent and arc difficult to procure. The cost of operation- in 1920 wi!I be $700.000 in excess of 1919 in which year they ex- ceeded the cost of 1918 -by $500,000. Those of vou who have lived long in iliis town can renenbrr when th-_ rate for electric liglit was 20 cents a kilowatt hour. You can re caîl also that gas was much more expensive than now. ln ail that tirne our policv lias been So reduce rates. On three occasions only have we deviated from this by increasing slightly rates for cer- tain 9pecial service affecting but few customeris. More than 99 per cent of our customners are paying for clectric light haîf as much as it cost a score of years ago, and a great deal less for gas. 20%QOff [iddies 3%Of f Jeans or Twill. ýe-CGl or -whit-i Yi th 1blue or ;ed. Every community we serve is concerned in the Company's growth and in -the efficient performance of its duty, but we'have reached a fork in the road not of dur own making. As much as we might wish to Ieave our rate record undisturbed this is impossible if the essential service of the Company is to b e done properly. To achievc this we Muât have the advance in rates we ask. Public Service GCompany- Of Northern, Illinois, I r'. fflý