The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-12-17

Report Of the R. R. Commission
Hard Hit on Phone and Water
Companies in State
MUNICIPAL COMPANIES HIT

The report of the State Railroad
Commission filed with Gov. Davidson is
devoted almost exclusively to the OBJ
GRAFTON of the public utility law, which
has proven a revelation in the state.
The report is divided into four de-
partments: Statistical, discriminatory
rates, legislative recommendations and
uniform accounting. By far the larger
portion is devoted to a discussion of
discriminatory rates, which seem to
have pervaded almost every public
utility in the state Tie commission
lays stress upon the fact that the dis
examinations now in force are those
left after year Of housekeeping,
which gives but meager idea of what
existing conditions were when the law
went into effect.
The determinations of telephone
companies are first discussed, the infor-
nation being based upon the reports
filed by the companies. Out of sixty
one companies whose reports were re
ceiVed in time for computation, thirty
two reported determinations, and out
of LAT telephone exchanges, 70 com
panes tolerated discriminatory rates
Of the thirty-two companies that dis
eliminated, the total amount of re-
bates amounted to $2,596.86 per month,
or $3l, 1922 annually. The general
telephone conditions throughout the
state show an average for all the ex-
changes considered of about eight dis
criminatory telephones to 100 sub
scribers. A list of lines operated by
the Wisconsin Telephone company in
various cities in the state is given, and
1t is interesting to note that twenty
one subsidiary companies, or 40 per
cent of the total, exceeded the general
average of discrimination, and of the
independent lines reporting, only five
or 20 per cent, exceeded the average
Of the Bell subsidiary lines, the high
est discrimination was 74.8 per cent, in
the city Of Shullsburg. Madison was
80 per cent, and w est Bend ~ per
cent. Of the independent lines the
highest discrimination was 1879 per
cent in the city of Reedsburg, with 100
subscribers.
Existing telephone contracts are the
cause of much Of the present dis
elimination, and the companies them
selves admit that for some time to
come sixty-fve telephones out of a
total Of 1856 cases must be main
tanned until the contracts are abro-
gated
The report on the water companies
was rather inadequate, owing to a
misunderstanding as to the character
and detail of the information desired
by the commission. In seventy com
panies furnishing water which filed
reports, twenty-eight charged no dis
crimiratory rates and forty-two re-
ported such rates; that is, three out of
forty five reported discriminatory prac-
tees. Of the twenty eight that re
ported no discriminatory rates, only
seven were operated by private cor
pOIdGIOuS.
"All we can deduce is that ten pri-
vate water companies, with a total of
over $4,000 service connections, re-
port sixty-two cases of discrimina-
ton in favor of private persons, or
three cases to 1000 service connec-
lions y says the commission, land that
twenty-five municipal plants, with
total of about $4,000 service connec-
tons, report 112 such cases, or 5 to
1000 service connections. One dis
elimination, however, it must be clear
ly understood, may include more than
one service connection. If reports of
municipal plants giving the number Of
charitable and educational institutions
receiving special rates can be secured,
the ratio for municipal plants would
undoubtedly rise precipitately.o