The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-10
MUTUAL RELATIONS and INTERESTS
OF The BELL SYSTEM AND The PUBLIC

such character and should so conduct
their investigations and deliberations
as to command such respect from
both the public and the corporations
that both will without question accept
their conclusions.
We believe that the pupiic would
in this way get all the advantages
and avoid all the manifest disadvan-
tages of public ownershif.
We believe that centers of business
and population exist for the conven-
fence of the public as whole, and
that no such center can prosper with
out sufficient and efficient means of
intercourse with other centers and
tributary territories; that such means
can only be afforded by prosperous
utility and service companies and that
fair rates are essential to prosperous
companies. We do not believe that
any public either desires or can OBJ,
tain, ncr can any service or utility
furnish, permanent and efficient SER
vice at less than cost, including cap
ital charges. We believe that ulti-
mately the public either directly or
indirectly pays the losses involved in
the efforts to furnish such service at
less than its fair cost, either through
the loss of the capital involved, the
losses incident to poor service or the
necessary increase in charges re-
quired to pay for duplication of cap
ital
We believe that the highest COM
mercial value of the telephone service
depends on Its comprehension the
extent and comprehensiveness of the
facilities for Accommodation not
only between individuals but between
centers of population that no isolated
section can be considered independ-
emily of any other section or of the
whole; that rates must be SO adjusted
as to make it possible to obtain the
maximum development by making 1t
possible for every one to be connect
ed who will add to the value Of the
system, thus giving the greatest value
to the greatest number; that the in
Independence of the telephone service
and the value OF complete and uni
yersal intercommunication justify and
require some services partly at the
expense Of the whole for the benefit
of the whole.
We believe that this highest COM
mercial value can only be attained by
one system under one common con-
troll and that 1t cannot be given by
independent systems unless they are
operated under agreements which re-
suit in one common control and one
| common interest. In effect making
them single system.
We believe that rates should be SO
adjusted as to afford the company
sufficient revenue to pay such wages
and compensation as will secure the
most efficient service; to maintain the
VERY highest and most advanced stand
ards of plant and apparatus, to carry
on such scientific and experimental
research and inventions as to apparat
4 us and methods as to insure the high
est standards, and to carry to reserve
and depreciation such amounts as will
enable the company at any time to
replace old plant and old methods
with new plant and new methods as
fast as they may be developed and
found to be to the advantage of the
4 service. we DPllGNP Il1dl III duulLlUll
such fair charges should be paid upor
the Investment In plant al will en-
i able the company at any time to OBJ
Itain money necessary to provide thu
4 plant required to meet the CONTINUING
demands of the public and In ordeI
that waste and duplication of effor
may be avoided and uniformity of pur
pose and common control be enforced
that there should be centralized gen
eral administration In close communi
cation with and having general author
lily over the whole on matters com
I mon to all or matters of genera
policy.
i We believe tina. any surplus beyont
that necessary to equalize dividend
on fair basis should be used by tn,
company for the benefit of the publ
and should be inalienable for an,
other purpose, and should be either In
vested in revenue-earning plant unit
necessary to substitute plant whicl
may become inadequate or obsolete
or should be used to make the servic
cheaper or better.
We believe that under proper 20,
ornamental control and regulation tn
profits from promotion or operation
'iallowed to be distributed should no