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.£*.?$ -7'-nv«* • * '-afevwC#«w4f»*N<-Ht ,.*«.£ «stf »* »* i/**%ifm-j i*»-v <^c •'V^."" ' • \ V-' .':rA " ./• • T. - ,; ?\\ . , *' *> <§ J,; ._ I -(..J}*- ' j»J s\v"{{!_- ?^^>, , nr: • w • ^;v* J&J,. £»***<***.,?r< f^lT'*r" *<•"* ,V^S ,1 1 %>' ' ^ ,; , ^v-" w-^. • •^ * • * fcf <:' A..J& VOLUME XLV MoHSNRT, ItiXjIN"OIS,T'TTTTRR'DAY, MARCH 18, 1920 'ijfflJ.|W'!^,!l!»|ip|P^ -.%•• .••:-.#( -tv' .'*»•"' '•••;, » ~--t- «* V ~ ;^:<v x->r THERE'S BIGGER ECONOMY IN, THAN YOU REALIZE Saves Labor iMoney, Time *"C- . V ^>r .: m cr <T> *v>n > » 2 ^ • G V f r t v/> * M ^ T3 - Hf = O ' - K ?c 50 O From » pfreif «eonotofoal standpointyoa ought to Instalf a UNIVERSAL Electric system on your farm. By a simple twist of a little button, it will give you the finest, cleanest, safest light in'the world, when and where you want it--in every nook and corner of your home, from cellar to garret; in your barns, outbuildings, whiles, driveways-- everywhere--anywhere. * v It will save time, labor and money for you every day in the year and prove one of the best dividend investments you ever made. It reduces the danger of fire; lightens housework, increases "egg production, maintains health, adds mightily to the pleasure of living and brings city, conveniences to the farm. And the cost--for the same amount of illuminations-is less than any other artificial light known; not even excepting kerosene. ' • . Its use will enable you to do more work with less help at less cost than you ever thought possible--and it's as simple and easy to operate as the lighting system on your automobile. Investigate its advantages today. See the UNIVERSAL dealer orWrite us direct. Ask for complete detailed specifications of the 'UNIVERBAL--the electrical generating system Backed By a '20 Year Pedigree. * H. E, BUCH AGENT JHcHENRY ELCARS SIX & FOUR .A • • . We have just moved from-Calhaun to Main street where we will be pleased to demonstrate our cars to those desiring same. Our advise to prospective buyers is to get your orders in before March 10th; as the prices on all cars handled by us will be advanced $100 on that day. Prices are as follows: Touring Car Six (delivered) _ - --x-- Touring Car Four Sedan Couple. .... $1795.00 $1695.00 _-;j. $2495.00 $2495.00 t4 WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS MAIN STREET WEEKLY PERSONAL ITEMS COMERS AND GOERS OF A WEEK IN OUR BUSY VILLAGE ; A* Seen by Plaindealer Reporters and Handed Into Our Office by Our F riends Ben Stilling passed Monday iB Chicago. B. J. Adams was a Chicago visitor Monday. Leslie Norager passed Saturday in Chicago. • Geo. Bfager the windy city. ' '• / Mrs. J. W» Smith passed Monday in Chicago; . Miss Mayme Ibsh spent Iagt Thursday in Elgin. Wm. Bonsletjt was k Chjfcago l>asuatiger Friday morning. ' L .' J. W. Bonslett boarded the Chicago train Monday morning". Wm. Sutton spent last Thursday and Friday with Chicago friends. Theo. Schiessle passed last Thurs- 'aiy in the metropolitan pity.- Carl Weber boarded the, Chfeago >ain last Thursday morning. H. E. Buch attended to businessmatters in Chicago Saturday. Jos. Michels transacted business in the metropolitan city Monday. Miss Lena Hartman was a week end guest of home folks at Marengo. Math. Bauer and daughter, Isabel, Were Chicago visitors Saturday. Miss Mary Monroe passed the week end at her home at River Forest. Rev. Edw. Berthold was among.the Chicago passengers last Thursday. Mrs. Peter J. Heimer and daughter, Elvera, passed Friday in Chicago. Miss Leona Justen was a Chicago passenger last Thursday morning. Lisle Bassett passed Saturday and Sunday with relatives at the county seat. .,4 Mrs. C. W. Stenger and daughter, Margaret, were Chicago visitors last Saturday. Carl Nelson of Elgin spent Sunday evening as the guest of friends in this village. Gerald Carey passed last Wednesday evening with friends in the metropolitan city. Frank Thurlwell went to Elgin Monday, where he will be "employed for some time. Mrs. John Walsh and son, Ray, of Fox Lake passed last Thursday with datives here. Miss Mayme Barbian passed a couple of days last week with relatives in Chicago. Miss Gertrude Frett was among those to board the Chicago train last Thursday morning. Francis Bonslett has returned home from a several weeks' visit with relatives in Qasper, Wyo. Louis A. Erickson motored to Rockford Sunday and passed the day as the guest of relatives. Mrs. F. V Cobb and daughter, Gladys, of Hebron were guests of reltives here last Thursday. Mrs. Andrew Miller and son, Harold, passed the week end as the guests of relatives at Woodstock. Miss Eva Stenger of Chicago was a week end guest in the home; of her brother, C. W., and family. S. J. Frazer of Chicago was » week end guest in the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Wentworth. | Miss Clara Stoffet passed last Thursday and Friday with her sister, Mrs. C. G. Westfall, in Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Heimer of Kenosjia \passed last Thursday and Friday as the guests of relatives here. Mrs. Lucy Thomas of Woodstock passed last and this week in the home of her daughter, Mrs. F. H. Wattles. Edmund Knox, Jas. Frisby, M. A. nd Ed. Sutton attended the funeral of Frank Sutton at Elgin last Wednesday. Tr :*,T; •' r'-4 NO. 40 Mesdames J. M. Phalin and John Relihan passed one day last week as the guests of relatives at the county seat. Misses Mayme Barbian, Mayme Ibsh and Marion Whiting were guests of Woodstock^ relatives and frkmOi Sunday >. . . „. * •Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Groom of Evanston passed Sunday as guests in the home of their daughter, Mrs. Walter Ft Vogt. , Miss Ida Adams of Elgin was |l ' week end gtiest in the home of her brother, George, and family north* west of town. Mr. and Mrs. Al. Brown, who have been spending the past several months in Woodstock, have returned to their home in this village. Mesdames Gertrude Miller and Elizabeth Rothermel and Miss Gertrude Glossen were Elgin visitors on Wednesday of last week. Franklin Ensign, and son, Ralph, of Crystal Lake were week end guests in the home of the former's parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. Q. Ensign. Mrs. John Reihansperger and Mrs. Wm. Elliott of West Chicago passed ast Thursday as guesits in the home if Mr. and Mrs. Chas. J. Reihaitspov rer here. Plaindaakr «ds w Why Raise Is Asked in Price of Gas Consumers of Gas: Realizing, as I do, the suspicion with which raises in rates by ptxhlfc utilities generally are viewed by many people, in justice to the Western United Gas and Electric Company and to its relations with the public, I, as president of the company, address this communication to the consumers of gas: if'i The Western United Oaa and Electric Company tuts received for Its g*s 90c net per thousand cubic feet from the ordinary consumer since 1913. So far as 1 tun informed, it is the only gru company or public utility in the State ft Illinois that has not to date raised its rates, \yhiie there wh« ample Justification for raising rates as much as two year ago. the directors of the Company felt that It would endeavor to stand the pressure in the hope that times would change and increases in rates would not be necessary. But conditions have become such that it has become necessary to make application to the Public Utilities Commission for increases. Never before in the history ,of 'this Company have rates been raised; on the contrary, evfen without public utility regulation, it was al way's the policy of this Company to reduce rates whenever circumstances warranted reduction. Beginning with the year 1S98 the rates in Aurora were $1.29 net per thousand; in 190 :i the rate* were reduced to fl.la; in 1904 when the Joliet, Elgin, Ka- Grange and Aurora companies consolidated the rates were reduced to $1.10; la 190S to $1.00; In 1911 to 95o and In 191S to 90c, which last named rate has been maintained thruout the time of rising prices. Reductions were inide possible thru the growth of the Company and taking advantage of every new and modem advancement in manufacture and dtstrtbwtion. For the past 15 years we h*Ye been enabled to furnish gas to the publio at rates so low that not over two or three companies in the State, Chicago included, oould undersell us, and tiiey were en&bled to do this only because of denser populations which served to reduce investment and distribution expense. The Company now finds itself in the position where it must have more money. The raise in rate which it asks is 33 1-3 per cent. At the present time gas and electricity furnished by the Western United Gas and Electric Company Is the only commodity in daily use which has not inoreaaed in price over the prices of four or five years mgo. The householder pays more for meat, groceries, clothing, water, street car service, telephone service, and excepting only gas and eleotricty, for everything else tit at he uses. COST OP CQAI. AND SUPPLIES. I' have called attention to the fact that from 1913 to the present date gashas been sold in this community for 30c leas per thousand cubic feet than it was sold in the year 1898 I also call attention to the fact that gas coal which sold in 189S for 32.9S a ton now costs us Stt.15 a ton. an licrntf •t 1<5 per eeat. Pocahontas coal, which then cost us $2.i>0 a ton now costs *B.eo per ton, u increase of *3 per treat. Boiler coal which then cost us 31.75 a ton now costs i*-r tn. an taerea*e of 1Z2 per cent. Gas oil which then cost us 2.3c per gallon now costs us 7 %c per ration, m iaereaae of 1W per eeat. Steel pipe which then cost us $40.00 per ton now cdsts us HMO per taa, aa Increase of 122 per eeat. Cast iron pipe for which we then paid $22.50 per ton now costs us MM* per tea, aa taereaae •< Mt per eeat. Meters for which we then paid $5.40, now require 'an expenditure of aie-Mt aa iaerease of Mi per eeat. Purifying material, which then cost $5.60 per tof, now costs I1UM per tea. aa Iaerease «f MO per eeat, and plant and street labor for which varying mgts are paid, has kcea lacreaaed freea 168 per eeat t* 174 per eeat in the same time. The cost of pumping gas has increased in the same time from 2 cents per thousand cubic feet to 3 ecsta aa kMMw mt 3M per eeat. Am sppsse* «• tftJa, the diwaet ta w»te whleh the Caipaay 1MM required has keen aa aetaal deerease mt 28 per eeat. AIM TO DEAL FAIRLY. The company in ita relations to the public In the past, feels that it has been fairly treated and it in turn has attempted to deal fairly with the public, and 1 submit that no public utility corporation anywhere has had more cqrdial relations with the public which it serves than has this Company. There are those, however, who do not understand, and those wtio would seek to make political capital out of the misfortunes of public utilities, those who might feel that the raise in rates this Company asks for shoivld not be granted, or who will oppone it on general principles or for selfish motives. It in aty desire 0* IBM hefare the pahUc. • • • • . - In the year UN the Western United Oas and Blectric Company will require at least 2.000,000,000 cubic feet of gas to supply its customers. It now buys its gas from the Coal Products Manufacturing Company, which has coke ovens capi^le of producing 1,300,000,000 oubic f&t and the Gas Company must manufacture 400,000,- 000 cubic feet. The gas purchased from the Ooal Products Manufacturing Comptany is socalled "coke oven gaa." The Coal Products Manufacturing Company will require 330,000 tons of coal in 1920, at 3C.1S a ton, the present price, to make gas. It should furnish the Western United Qaa and Electric Company, a total cost of $1,- 938,000.00. Operating expenses at the present cost of labor and the price of materials wjll cost at least $700,000.00 more, making the total cost of manufacture $2.C6MO«.00. The moat that the Coal Products Manufacturing Company can hope to obtain from the sale of coke, tar and ammonia, based on present day prices and the best information as to prices obtainable for the future is $3,513,000.00; but judged by past experience the Coal Products Manufacturing Company oan not sell all of Its coke and there is every indication that it will he impossible for it to do so tills year, and such of its coke as it can not sell must be stored. The making' of 400- 000,000 cuhio feet of oarburetted water gas which the Gas oompany will be compelled to provide will cost at least $220,000.00. If the Coal Produots Manufacturing Company can not sell its coke, production must ne'oessarily be cut down, which will require the making of more carburetted water gas. In the operation of the plant it is impossible to cut down production so that less than 240,000 tons of coal are used per year, which at $3.13 a ton will cost $1,473,000.00 The labor and materials in using this amount of coal will cost at least $650,000.00 at present prices. With this amount of coal there can be produced 1,200.000,000 cubic feet of gas and 136,000 tons of coke, and if all the coke, tar and ammonijk could be sold th*> income therefrom at the outside would be $1,335,- 000.00 as against the cost of production of $2,123,000.00. The Western United Gas and Electric .Company would be required to furnish on this basis 800,000.000 cubic feet of carbu retted water gas at a cost of $440.- 000.00. From past experience I know it .will be Impossible to . sell 135.000 tons of coke in 1920, so it will be very evident that the Coal Products Manufacturing Company will have to finance indefinitely at least $500,000.00 and perhaps twice that amount, in coke, a practically imposed Me situation. • t- In all probability, due to the economic situation in the country today, the Western United Oas and Blectric Company will h« ih a position where it will have to make cirburetted water gas in far greater volume and it will be a practical impossibility to reduce the cost of this gas to anything less than 53c per thousand cubic feet. HI'Si9 MOW AT A l.OSS. Coal gas today is costing the same as carbu retted water gas to manufacture. In the past, due to ability to sell coke, tar and ammonia, and because of good market prices obtained therefor, the public has been the beneficiary with respect to the prl-.'e it has paid for gas. Under the contract between the Coal Products Manufacturing Company and the Western United Gae and Blectric Company, the gas company has paid to the Coal Products Manufacturing Company 18c per "thousand for the gas which it has purchased, and for that reason was enabled to sell at the low rates which have prevailed. Cost of distribution, maintenance, repairs, wages, interest charges and the thousand and one other items whieh a company of this magnitude must pay, have made up the difference in cost. * But in the year of 1919, due to this low price which the Western United Gas and Electric Company has paid, the Coal Products Manufacturing Company has showed a di-flolt In u|»- eratleas of about 918«MMM».eo, and if it does not receive more for Its pas in 1920 Its deficit will approximate <328,- 04NMM. This condition continued couJd lead to but one conclusion, a receivership and a loss by the stockholders and bondholders of the moneys they hare invested. I do not believe that any fair minded person would care to precipitate such a situation. We believe we can work out the situation by making the contract price which the Western United Gas and Ulectrlc Company shall pay for gas to the Coal Products Manufacturing Company 43c per thousand cubic feet, an increase of 25a and a contract has accordingly been made fixing on that price, said oontra^t having heretofore been filed with the Public Utilities Commission in accordance with the law. This price to be paid by the Western United Gas and Electric Oompany it will be noted, is actually about 12« per thousand cubic feet less thaui the cost of manufacture, and the difference must be made up out of sales of coke, tar and ammonia as has been done tn the past two years. This necessitates the proposed increase In rate. Gas is delivered by the Coal Products Manufiacturing Company to the Western United Gas and Electric Company at its holder at Joliet. There is loss in distribution, due to condensation, leakagre and various other cauaes, of approximately one-seventti of the volume of gaa Ijabor costs In 1920 with the two companies will be approximately 10 per cent higher than in 1919, due to Increases in wages. State taxes alone of the Western United Gas and Electric Company in 1920 will be approximately MMUM higher than they were tn 1919, and of the Coal Products Company, approximately* $«.SO«-OS higher. The gas which the Western United Gas and Electric Oompany must manufacture, as above pointed out. will cost it 65c per thousand cubic feet, 12o more than the new con- j tract rate at which it is to buy gas frOm the Coal Products Manufacturing Company. These costs must be met and they can be met from only one source.--from increased revenue IS A nnur mehvastt. The Western Untted Gas and Eleetrie Company Is but a public servant. The public desires good service and phou'.d have good service and it has been the constant desire of the Company to keep the »W 'J iCs at per ow\t etf efficiency. There been times wheh it was Impossible t*- do so. due to inability to get coa!, andV when coal was obtainable the inablll*-:v, ty to get the right kind of coal. Codi. - such as is used in our process of raari» ~ Ufacture must come from West Vlr» ginla and car shortages and labor ' troubles have made their eSaots manU fest in the conduct of our bulMu: A public utility corporation operates on an entirely different basis from any other manufacturing corporation in that thru public regulation ani*' control the amount of money which, it may make is limited by public authority and I submit that altho the return on investment allowe.1 by oudr • Commission is approximately tha >. same that could be earned by buy» ing securities offered in the marks! : without the risks attendant la invest* ment in an enterprise such as our%'? at the same time to give efficient serv vice sufficient money must be earned to enable the Company to properljr function. There is constant demanjl ' ou the Western United Gas and K!sert» trie Company as there-Is on all ot he* going concerns for extensions and additions to service, and these de*; niands should and must be met. butt to meet them requires additional cap* Ital expenditures. New moneys nust be invested in the property, but t* make investment in such property^, attractive to the investor requires i successful operation of the property. m This successful operation can not ba conducted if the company loses money. • • • • The Western United Oas and Btee> trio Oompany will not profit ona . penny by the increase which it findf;,'/• necessary in tts rates; its sole deair* is to be able to maintain its standard® of service and operation and to maintian Its net revenues of the past. If the Public Utilities Commission in ita wisdom authorises the establishment of the rate which we have propose^ and 1 submit it will do so after It has made the thoro investigation of this company's affairs which it slways makes In such cases, the Western United Gas and Electric Company attd the Coal Products Manufacturing Company will continue ta exist and serv* the public in the same efficient manner as hss been done la the past, better I hope, because of hoped-for improvements surrounding; labor conditions and car service in the coal mining industry, but to deny the, increase, in addition to the disaster that must follow to the companies, the public must be the ultUMla sufferer because of either impaired. ia> terrupted or discontinued set (lea • • • • ),(. And I want to say in eoaclualon that as and when times improve, the policy of the Western United Gaa and Electric Company in the future will be identical with its policy in the past; as rapidly as rates can ba reduced, they will be reduced, and It will be unnecessary for any consumer or any public official to Initiate proc e e d i n g s t o b r i n g a b o u t r e d u c t i o n i n ' rata The Company will alwaya he the leader in this direction. While 1 reasonably anticipate, judged by experienoes of other utility corporations^ that there may be some opt position voiced before the Utilities Commission on the hearings on th« application filed, and I do not question the sinosrlty of those whs may' be heard to oppose, I have every con-*., fidence that the facts produced at the* hearings will support in every partlc~tf" ular the (taumuta by me ' shore mad a •» ^ - V?' R^MpttfmOy 1. C COPLEY. 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