The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-09-10

only be afforded by prosperous util-
ity and service companies and that
fair rates are essential to pros porous
We do not believe that any |
public either desires or can obtain, nor
can any service or utility furnish, per- |
manent and efficient service at less
than cost, including capital charges. /
We believe that ultimately the public |
either directly or indirectly pays the
losses involved in the efforts to furnish
such service at less than it's fair cost,
either through the loss of the capital
involved the losses incident to poor
service or the necessary increase in
charges required to pay for duplica
tion of capital.
We believe that the highest CONNER
cial value of the telephone service de-
ponds on its ompleteness-on the eX-
tent and comprehensiveness of the ia
cilities for intercommunication, not
only between individuals but between
centers of population; that no isolated
section can be considered Independently
of any other section OF the whole;
that rates must be so adjusted as to
make II possible to obtain the maxi
mum development by making 1t possible
for every one to be connected who viii
add to the value of the system, thus
giving the greatest value to the great
est number; that the interdependence
of the telephone service and the value
of complete and universal intercom
munication 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 control
It'd,
pendent systems unless they are oper-
ated under agreements which result in
one common control and one common
interest, in effect making them a
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 re-
search and inventions as TO apparatus
and methods as TO insure the highest
standards. and to carry TO reserve and
depreciation such amounts Will en-
able the company at any time to re-
place 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 service.
We believe that in addition, such fair
charges should be paid upon the in
vestment in plant as will enable the
company at any time to obtain money
necessary to provide the plant re-
quired to meet the continuing demands
of the public; and in order that waste
and depulication of effort may be
of
and common control be enforced, that
there should be a centralized general
administration IN close communication
with and having general authority
over the whole on matters common to
all or matters OF general policy.
We believe that any surplus beyond
that necessary to equalize dividends
on a fair basis should be used by the
company for the benefit of the public
and should be inalienable for any
other purpose, and should be either in
vested in revenue earning plant until
necessary to substitute plant which
may become inadequate obsolete
or should be used to make the service
cheaper or better.
We believe that under proper gov
ernmental control and regulation the
profits from promotion or operation
allowed to be distributed should not
be large as to warrant or tempt
complete duplication of plant and or
ganization. with its duplication of It's
capital charges and its organization
operating, maintenance and depreci-
alton expenses; and we do not believ,
| that utilities giving at fair rates al
efficient and sufficiently comprehensive
universal service should be subject t
: limited competition. not giving sucl
service. Competition which ignores tn,
obligation to furnish a complete AM
comprehensive service is not compe
tition, is not for the benefit OF tn
+; public in that it does not reach tn
/ whole public interested.
: If therefore, complete duplication
with its dual exchange connection an
e dual bills for service. Is a prerequisite
t to complete competition, governmen
control and regulation cannot go han
in hand with competition.
We believe that the record OF tn
5 Bell System Will be accepted by tn
public as fully in accord with thes
5 declarations. Consistent adherhence t
t United States the best, most compre
t hensive and cheapest telephone servic
: in the world and made the Bell stand
: ards the standards of all nations
n To remove any possible excuse fo