Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-26
! WILL SETTLE
PHONE RATES
ON MONDA Y
COUNCIL DECIDES TO REVIEW
TESTIMONY
MAJORITY SENTIMENT FAvoRs
NO CHANGE
After Two Days Of Telephone Talk,
LIGHT and Power Tariffs
Are Scheduled for
Today

WDcIneG LHG lttcDllOitC AdIS' "a A-SS
Angeles shall be raised, lowered or re-
main stationary was taken under adj
visement by the city council late yes
terday, the decision to be made on Mon
day morning at 10 o'clock.
Though this delay will carry the de-
cision past the month of February
when the charter specifies that the
rates shall be fixed the city's legal de-
partment has ruled that this is per-
missible. It gives the councilmen an
opportunity to review the transcripts OF
testimony.
Councilmen Lyon, Clampitt and
Healy announced that they would vote
to let the rates remain as last year 3,
saving they were ready to vote at once.
Councilmen Wallace and Pease lean
to the idea that the rates should De
equalized, as some Home phones cost
81 and some Sunset SO. $3.50 rate
seemed to appeal to these two as fair
Councilmen Yonkin and Blanchard
did not commit themselves, though it
is understood they will vote with the
other Republicans.
Councilman Wren says he may pos
sibly vote to lower the rates.
Councilman Dromgold said he had not
made up his mind.
Attorneys for the Home and Pacific
companies, as well as for the CITY,
having put their witnesses on the stand
to explain away as best they could the
critical showing of City Auditor w. &.
Mushet and his staff that the COM
panies had not complied with the or
dinances and had filed conflicting state
ments as far as the returns to the
assessor and to the COUNCIL at ieasl
were concerned.
Attorneys for the companies eX-
pressed the hope that they would not
have to resort to litigation and the
citys attorneys said they shared in this
hope.
Judge Pillsbury of San Francisco was
on hand to look after the legal IN
terests of the Pacific company.
Chief Engineer w. c. Birkett was on
the stand in the afternoon to give eX-
pert opinions as to the transmltters,
Deputy City Attorney Louis Works
drawing from witness the admission
that as $4,000 was set aside for rentals
this was equivalent to paying D per
cent for 100000. Witness thought the
$4,000 instruments here represented
value of $685. 900 TO $4,000.
Have Office at Martinez
Auditor Sherwin, who was recalled,
said the company maintained head Of
fees at Martinez, Cal, but its books
and records were kept and later burned
II
the hearing that the object of the Mar
tinez Offices was to evade San Fran
cisco taxation.
Secretary F. W. Eaton, an old official,
said most of the company's records mad
been burned In the San Francisco fire.
Judge Pillsbury made a few remarks
to the city council here, thanking the
members for their consideration
.'All we ask is a square deal, re
said. 1.-THE cost of the plant and gross
revenues are the proper basis OF liking
rates.
Il believe you can give us fair play
and a reasonable return-we don't ask
for excessive rates-without going into
court We don't desire litigation, ana
will make concessions to avoid 1t.
II Join in the hope with the speaker,
said Attorney Works.
Hold Millions in Hands
Attorney Walter Wright, for the
Home company, followed.
I'VE are intensely serious in our ar
guments because our five millions in
vested represented the holdings of hum
dreds Of stockholders" said Mr..
Wright.
you men hold the destiny of So
OOO. 900 investment in your hands. Every
dollar is subject to your rules.
EVERY year we must build two miles
of conduit, and if your officers chose
1t they can force us to tear down so,
900 worth of wires and poles merely TO
beautify a street.
And the life of the franchise is only
forty years."
Several of the councilmen then aired
their views, Councilmen Healy, Lyon
and Clampitt urging that vote be
taken Immediately and that the rates
remain as at present.
Hewitt counseIs Delay
City Attorney Leslie r. Hewitt coun-
seled delay after Councilman Dromgold
said he had not made up his mind.
IF this should get into the courts II
is not we'll that the allegation be made
that the councilmen voted without due
consideration, remarked the city at
torney.
The vote was then laid over till Mon
day, when the city attorney will be in
structed to bring in the necessary or
dinances.
Today the council will fix gas, light
and power rates.
----~-~s-