(United States currency) per kilowatt-hour in west Java in the 
vicinity of Batavia and Bandoeng. It is claimed that this rate is 
excessive and prevents many people from making use of electric cur- 
rent. [or this reason the public-utility companies are making serious 
efforts to induce the natives to install electricity for lighting purposes 
by granting them special rates. It is now possible for natives in some 
areas to have one 10-watt lamp in their homes on a flat rate of $0.25 per 
month or two lamps for $0.45 per month. 
The rate for current for industrial and heating purposes is $0.08, 
and that rate prevails throughout the territory, although special 
agreements can be entered into with the utility companies when con- 
sumers are prepared to guarantee a minimum consumption per month. 
In addition, the following rates are charged on energy consumed 
between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. of the next day: 
At least 100 kilowatt-hours per month, $0.07 per kilowatt-hour. 
At least 250 kilowatt-hours per month, $0.048 per kilowatt-hour. 
At least 500 kilowatt-hours per month, $0.040 per kilowatt-hour. 
At least 750 kilowatt-hours per month, $0.036 per kilowatt-hour. 
In some cases the power factor clause is included in rates charged 
for power supply, but generally a fixed rate is charged per kilowatt or 
kilovolt-ampere. A cost-of-fuel clause is naturally not included, 
when the current is supplied from one of the hydroelectric plants, 
but when the supply is taken from a steam or oil plant, this clause is 
usually inserted. 
Most of ths current is sold on a flat rate, one of the largest public- 
utility companies reporting that at the end of 1929 only 2 per cent of its 
total output was on a metered supply as compared with 79 per cent on 
aflat rate. Meters are used extensively in Batavia by the N. I. G. M.; 
however, in other towns where electric supply is availabls, automstic 
current limiters are used. 
Power costs for industrial purposes will have to be reduced con- 
siderably before the large private industries in the Netherland East 
Indies will avail themselves of public-utility power. It is reported 
that the Government sells the power to the utility companies at 
approximately one-fifth of the cost that consumers are charged. 
In addition to the actual tariff charges, many of the companies 
make a charge for connection, this charge taking the form either of a 
monthly fee, amounting to about 0.50 florin, or a stipulated sum 
paid once, when the connection is made. 
PUBLIC-UTILITY COMPANIES 
At the end of 1923 a public supply of electrical energy for lighting 
and industrial purposes was available in only 23 townships of the 
Netherland East Indies. During the next four years considerable 
development in the growth and expansion of the public-utility com- 
panies took place, and at the end of 1928 the number of townships 
where light and power were available had increased to 98. Approxi- 
mately 3,000,000 people were living in the areas supplied by these 
companies. The majority of these townships were located in Java, 
where 68 were supplied. In Sumatra there were 16 towns where 
public-utility current was supplied, in Borneo 7 towns, in the Celebes 
2 towns, and in the islands of the Moluccas, Timor, Balt, and Lembok 
there were 5 towns.