The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-22
PRESIDENT GENTRY l. ON PHONE INCREASE. Thinks Proposed Rates Are
 Justifiable OPENED HIS BOOKS Says That in Any Event Company Will Continue Policy of Rem
 dering Entirely Eff
 cient Service

President W. T. Gentry of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph company said to an Age Herald reporter last night: While I was disappointed at not | receiving the unanimous support of the commissioners of the city of Birmingham to the proposition of our company LOOK ing to an increase In telephone rates, still l believe a substantial majority of the business men of Birmingham were entirely willing that the company should make a reasonable return on the money invested. We have endeayored to deai frankly ard fairly with the commission CTS and had laid the books of the com pany open to an expert accountant se- lected by the city, and had rendered the accountant every assistance possible.
 ''The report sustained the Information previously given by the company and' in fact, could not have done anything e;se, as the information given by the company was accurate and true"
 Mir. Gentry said that the company had been progressive and had not only kept paoe with. but had kept a little ahead or the rapidly growing city, as is necessary
 in the telephone business had invested more than $l,000,000 in the city providing adequate facilities so that every one who ne eded or desired telephone could De supplied, although the company, he said, had not been making any money for seven or eight years, and had been fur- nishins service at the rates charged Tn small cities such as Huntsville or Selma, Ala. Rome or Athens, Ga, and hardly half as much as charged in such cities as Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Louis- vile or New Orleans.
 He said he believed the majority or the prominent business men of Birming- ham fully realized that first class, com prehensive telephone system was of Vi- tai importance and that such could not be had permanently except at rates which would permit a reasonable profit on the investment: that such a system with toll line connections to all parts of the state and to cities in other states, with which Birmingham does business. was Of more importance than the question of rates.
 Tt is an absolute fact" said MT. Gen try, that the company is not earning reasonable return on the investment and cannot be operated at a profit al the present rates. This had been shown to the Birmingham commissioners and would be shown to the railroad com missioners of Alabama by sworn testl- mony and in such manner that it could not be doubted I fully expect that the railroad commissioners will be convinced that the new rates are not only not un- reasonable, but on the contrary. are req sonable and are actually necessary"
 Mir Gentry expressed great regret that the increase was necessary. but believed that if any patron was sufficiently in- terested in the subject to make care- full investigation he would be convinced of the reasonableness of the position Of the company.
 MT. Gentry further said that in any event the company would continue it's policy of treating all patrons courteously and rendering efficient service, and to that end would go to any amount of trouble and would not hesitate at any reasonable investment or expense that any patron who felt that he was not re- ceiving good service, by notifying the manager, would have complete and careful investigation made and that the company would not rest until the trou- ble had been found and the cause of the same had been removed