Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-16

, bears TO tne company $ total toll wire
mileage, we have left the revenue earned
over toll circuits carried on poles fAu
| of the toll wire in Vermont Is carr,od
on poles) OF the total toll revenue tbus
| earned from open or overhead wires ~
per cent was earned in Vermont. hut
! 1t required 81 per cent. of the total
| wire to produce the revenue and IA nor
cent. of the total number of toll line
| poles This would seem to show con-
| clusively that because of the snarse,v
settled territory, the toll business in tho
State of Vermont IS distinctly less prodt-
able and substantially more extensive
to handle than in other parts of the ter
rltory whore the company operates.
HIGH GRADE TOLL SERVICE.
yet in spite of all these facts. the COM
pany undertakes to maintain Just as high
"A grade of service In the state of Vermont
as in the more populous and profitable
sections of It's territory, and as an illus
tration, | have no hesitation In stating
that the toll service between the city
of Montpelier and the city of Boston is
Just exactly as good and as dependable as
the service between Boston and New
York
Now as a result, it and its four subsi-
diary companies in the state of Vermont
earned in the aggregate only $4,000 of net
revenue for the year 1912, which is less
than two per cent. upon the investment
II now want to show YOU what would
happen to this amount OF net revenue if
the proposed rates should go into effect
The proposed schedule for exchange rates
would mean an annual loss to the New
England company and its four subsidiary
companies of $S7367. as compared with its
exchange service revenue at pres
ent rates, assuming that every
subscriber retained exactly the same
class Of service which he has
now. The loss in intrastate tolls If re-
duced as suggested in the complaint
would be S16,575 the loss from tho aboi-
tion of the reduced rate charge so-called.
would amount to approximately $500,
making a total loss as against the present
revenue of $1OS9i2.
This would leave the company not only
without its present less than two per cent.
of net profit, but would actually leave it
with an annual deficit on its business in
the state.
The people of Vermont would have
had the service. but the company would
not even have a dollar to show for that
service after paying expenses. In fact
the company would not have even been
reimbursed for the bare expenses of fur
nishnS the service
NOT a FAIR PROPOSITION.
Now that does not seem like a fair
proposition to us. and doubt very
much if the gentlemen who presented this
complaint and suggested this schodul. of
rates would have done so if they had
realized exactly what such a rate schedule
would mean.
''I'nder such a schedule. what wouId
become of Approximately s3.0ooo0o of
property which We have invested in this
state: What docs that propertv become
worth If it must q. e. vice only under
Il schedule which would produce nothing
but yearly deficit?
II am assuming in all that + an, saving
now that such an order might in eoruo
way be considered legal: assuming that
the law would allow such an order to
stand. what remedy has the comnanv nm
der such conditionse ApnarentIv there
is but one Alternative and tbot o.o,,id
be to endeavor to give "A service, if pos
'-'''' ''' '''t VI "'4'H """lu o' pTopor-
r'""'o 10 'H' rates Whl'h might he
iSod' nat would mean service by
" 'iPi''" company because 1t would be
"oHol"t''N H"p"sSIhI" undef such rate
S'Hcuu'' 10 give service OF the stand
ar" now iurhlshed by the New England
'o"II'"HN ana lls S"nsldiarles.
NOW ! DO not believe that it is in the
i"'cIeSt "I ln' people OF Vermont to
''dNo 'heIF telephone service furnished
ny ciippcd company pelieNe that
II Is uSunctN IN the public interest to
nave service from company whose re-
venues "hlIe entirely reasonable are
SullcIoht 10 give a modern up-to-date,
'lrSt-c!ass service adding from time to
'liIe as they appear improvements made
"NalIa"le ny progress OF the art, reve-
i'ues Suiilcient 10 ensure prompt action
IN rehedYinE trouble and meeting emer-
Eehcles.
For this reason, such a schedule as
Is proposed is not only unfair to the
telephone companies of the State hut 1t
is equally unfair to the telephone users
of the State and general public inter-
est
\o,r LAIp no o,ruEp c,r,rr,,
"'p' may "e Pa'uoheu Tor suE-
ISSUING 'hat Such scheuule would not
We 4alT TO the other New England States
y" "!m'" lhiS company furnishes serV-
0'' ne NaSSachuse'ts commission has
approved a rate schedule based on the
assumption that the entire territory in