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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1961-12-07, Page 101O 4HE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, ONT., DEC. 7, 1961 DAVIS, DUNN & BROUGHTON Chartered Accountants KITCHENER GUELPH LONDON Private PIant Purchase ClaimedUnfair toOwners When Hydro came to Sea - forth in 1911 it became neces- sary to negotiate with the own- ers of the private plant that had served the town. That the arrangements to compensate the company were considered to be anything but fair, is in- dicated by their letter which appeared in The Expositor 50 years ago: "Would you kindly allow us space in your paper to permit us to explain to the people of Seaforth and the public gener- ally that very unjust and despo- tic manner in which we have been treated by the town coun- cil and the Hydro -Electric Com- mission. Seventeen years ago we purchased the then electric light plant from the town. It had been run for some time by the council as a municipal en- terprise and was not only being run at a loss to the town, but was a source of annoyance to both the council and the peo- ple. It was then only used for street lighting and store light- ing purposes. "We purchased the plant for $5,000 obtaining from the town a 10 years' franchise and bind- ing ourselves to add an incan- descent plant for the lighting for the residents and stores, at a rate agreed upon between ourselves and the council. We erected a new powerhouse and added to the plant the required machinery, etc., the entire cost to us being $15,000 in cash, which was our original invest- ment. From that time we have added to the plant until our present investment in its is $29,000. Since then we have op- erated the plant and- lighted the town and have given as good a service at as reasonable - ...a cost as any other town similarly situated to Seaforth. Every cent that we have made out of the business in all these years has been absorbed in running the business and adding to the plant and we have never derived one cent from the business, either for interest on the original in- vestment of $15,000, or for our time and trouble in conducting the business. We have now just got the business to that point where it is likely to pay us a reasonable interest on our money, and the plant is suffici- ent to do the business of the town without the expense of further renewals for some time. "At this point the town coun- cil and the Hydro Electric Com- mission step in, establish a sys- tem of their own, prohibit us from continuing in business, thus rendering our plant prac- tically useless, and refuse to give us one cent for the expen- sive plant which they render useless, with the exception of $3,600, which they have agreed to pay us for the poles and wires on the streets. They prac- tically ruin us and refuse us any redress, and they are allow- ed to do this by the laws of the land passed under the di- rection of the present Ontario Government and with the conniv- ance of the Hydro Electric Com- mission. We leave it to the pub- lic to say whether or -not this is fair and square treatment in a civilized country, where ev- ery man is supposed to get his just rights. If the council and the Commission would only per- mit us to continue to do busi- ness, we would not have so much cause for complaint, un- fair and unjust even as the competition would be. We would still be in a position to compete with the town plant. But they take advantage of the powers which an unjust law gives them, forbid us longer CONGRATULATIONS Oil 50 Good Years! Hi -Test Corporation Engineered Lighting Hamilton - Ontario to the Town of Seaforth as you mark the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Hydro JOHNS -MANVILLE !AT PRODUCTS JOHNS — MANVILLE Suppliers of Transite Pipe for Seaforth's Municipal Water System CANADIAN JOHNS -MANVILLE CO. LIMITED, PORT CREDIT, ONTARIO doing business and appropriate to themselves the business which it has taken us years to build up and the building up of which cost us hundreds of dollars, and seventeen years of hard work and perserving toil, and leave us high and dry with an expensive plants on our hands, a portion of which can- not be disposed of at any price, and much of it could not be sold for a third of its working value. Now we ask any other manufacturer or businessman in town or elsewhere, how they would like to be similarly treated. "When we were building up our plant we were protected by law, as the law then provided that where a municipality estab- lished a plant and a private plant existed, the municipality must take over the private plant at a valuation to be fixed by arbitration. This was fair, and had we been treated in this way we would not have any cause for complaint. But when the Hydro Electric Commission was established, thislaw repealed and the private own- ers of plants were left to the tender mercies of the munici- palities and the Hydro Com- mission. But not withstanding this fact that several municipali- ties have established plants of their own under the Commis- sion where private plants exist- ed, we do not know of a single instance where a private com- pany has been treated in the manner in which we have been. In every instance, so far as we have been able to learn, the municipalities have taken over the private plants at a fair valu- ation. Had Seaforth town coun- cil treated us in like manner, we would have been perfectly satisfied, notwithstanding the fact that we would even then have been heavy losers. But to be deprived of our business by the corporation and to have a costly plant rendered useless and left on our hands, with our one cent of compensation, is treatment which is so hard- hearted and barbarous as to be past characterization of words. "When Hon. Adam Beck was in Seaforth endeavoring to in- duce the ratepayers to adopt his scheme, he stated that the Commission would see that the council acted justly with the exL isting company. Had he not done so, and had it then been even supposed that the council would deal, with us in the un- just and harsh manner, in which we have endeavored to explain, we would have more confidence in the people among whom the members of this company have lived and done business with for 40 years, than to believe they would have considered the acceptance of the proposition for one moment. But the coun- cil and the Commission having obtained the power, they have 1•, used it to the very extreme to our financial ruin. We have repeatedly appealed to the Com - Z ; mission, both personally and 1 collectively, and have got fair ' promises and nothing more. And now the town council will be ready in a few days to start the municipal plant and to shut ' up purs, and leave us with our I plant on our hands and nothing for it to do. "We do not object as a com- pany to the people adopting the Hydro Electric scheme and op- erating it if they deem it to their advantage to do so, but in depriving us of our business and rendering our plant useless they should give us some reas- onable compensation. This they refuse to do and thus we claim, and the public will agree with us, that we are being unjustly and dishonestly treated. We submit these facts to the pub - lice and allow them to judge. " Yours truly, The Seaforth Electric Light Company. SEAFORTH PUC MANAGER R. J. Boussey, left, and Edie Oddliefson, Hydro Con- sumer Service Engineer, of London, appear in front of the Seaforth substation. The station was_ erected in 1948-49. Below left is R. B. Holmes, who was manager of the PUC from 1952 to 1959. R. B. HOLMES • Northside Missionary Group Meets The regular monthly meeting of the Women's Missionary So- ciety of Northside United Church was held in the school room Tuesday evening, Nov. 28. Twenty-six ladies answered the roll call. Mrs. J. C. Britton op- ened the meeting with a poem entitled, "Minutes of Gold." A hymn was sung, after which Mrs. Ross Savauge led in pray- er. In the absence of the presi- dent, Miss Rena Fennell, Miss Gladys Thompson conducted the business of the meeting. Mrs. H. V. Workman read an article on Christian Stewardship, and Mrs. William Ball reported that a bale of good used clothing, weighing 131 pounds, had been sent to Toronto for overseas re- lief. Reports of the Sectional meet- ing held in Goshen United Church on Oct. 26, were given by Mrs. P. B. Moffat and Mrs. C. Walden. Mrs. James M. Scott had charge of the program and opened with a short prayer, fol- lowed by the singing of the hymn, "O God, the Rock of Ages." Mrs. Britton read the Scripture from the 90th Psalm A lovely solo entitled, "Just and led in prayer. For Today," was sung by Mrs. Lloyd Rowat, accompanied by Mrs. J. A. Stewart. The new study book, "Signals For the Sixties," was very ably intro- duced by Mrs. Scott. "Saviour, Breathe An Even- ing Blessing," was the closing hymn, and Mrs. Scott pronounc- ed the benediction. When success turns your head, you're facing the wrong direction. Congratulations on 50 years of Hydro Power to the Public Utilities Commission of Seaforth Canada Wire and Cable Company Limited A Canadian -owned company ... coast to coast 4 • • • • • • • • • r Congratulations to THE SEAFORTH PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF HYDRO IN SEAFORTH from THE CANADA VALVE AND HYDRANT COMPANY LTD. P.O. BOX 816 • BRANTFORD • ONTARIO Suppliers of DARLING GATE VALVES AND FIRE HYDRANTS TO SEAFORTH FOR OVER 30 YEARS 4 • • • • • • • • • r