The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-24

Nooe' anu thdI lHlS control OF TeSu.
lation. beyond requiring the creates,
efficiency and economy, should no,
interfere with management or opera.
ton. We believe that these bodies
If they are to be permanent. effective
and Of public benefit. should be thor
oughiy representatives: they should
be of such character and should SO
conduct their Investigations and de.
~liberations al to command such re.
spect from both the public and the
corporations that both will without
question accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public would
in this way get all the advantages and
avoid all the manifest disadvantage,
Of public ownership.
We believe that centers Of business
and population exist for the convent.
ence- Of the public as a 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. nor can any service or utility
furnish. permanent and efficient serv.
ice at less than cost. including capital
charges. We believe that ultimately
the public either directly or Indirectly
pays the losses involved in the eff
forts 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 neces-
sary increase in charges required to
a for duplication Of capital.
We believe that the highest COM
mercial value of the telephone service
depends on its completeness-on the
extent and comprehensiveness Of the
facilities for REORGANIZATION. not
only between individuals but between
centers Of populations: that no isolated
section can be considered independ-
emily Of any other section or of the
whole; that rates must be SO adj
SNSsSA 10 " bAeAnC ~ POSoIDlC ~ OUs
tain the maximum development by
making it possible for every one to be
who will add to the value
of the system, thus giving the greatest
value to the greatest number: that
the inter-dependence of the telephone
and the value Of complete and
universal intercommunication justify
and require some services partly at
the expense of the whole for the bene.
fit. Of the whole. II
We believe that this highest com
mercial value can only be attained by
one system under n common con-
troll and that it cannot be given by
Independent systems unless they are
operated under agreements which. re-
suit in n common control and one
common interest in effect making
them a single system. 81
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
standards of plant and apparatus, to
carry on such scientific and expert
mental research and inventions as to
apparatus and methods as to insure
the highest 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 de-
velOped and found to be to the ad-
vantage Of the service. We believe
that in addition, such fair charges
should be paid upon the investmen,
in plant as will enable the. company
at any time to obtain money neces.
sary to provide the plant required to
meet the continuing demands of the
public; and in order that waste and
duplication of effort may be avoided
and uniformity of purpose and com.
mon control be enforced, that Their.
should be a centralized general ad.
ministration in close communication
with and having general authorit,
over the whole on matters common
to all or matters of general policy.
We believe 'thats any surplus be.
yond that necessary to equalize divi
dends on a fair basis should be uset
by the company for the benefit of tn,
public and, should be .i%nalieuable 10,
n other purpose, and should b,
either. INVESTED In ,trevenue-earntn,
plant Until necefsAry' to suhstitut.
plant which may become inadeuuat,