The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-12-24
TELEPHONE COMPANY
WANTS BETTER RATES
Says Present Rates Are
Not Remunerative.
IMPROVED SERVICE /,
is PROMISED
Railroad Commission Held Hearing
Here Thursday on Petition of the
Laurens Telephone Company Ask
ing Righe to Raise Telephone Rates.
10 Give Glitter Service.

Pursuant to a petition to tho rail
road commission and to notice OF a
hearing published in both the Laurens
newspapers, the Laurens telephone
company, through it's president, Mr.. w.
II. Richcy, appeared before the com
mission here Thursday to ask for the
right to raise its present rates in or
der to place the company on pay
ing basis and to make 1t possible for
the company to make improvements in
the service without entailing a loss In
operating expenses The hearing was
held in the court house at three
o'clock in the afternoon, John G.
Richards, chairman OF the commits
sion, and b. L. Caughman, another
member Of the commission, being
present G. McDune Hampton, the
remaining commissioner. was absent
About half dozen citizens of Laurens
appeared to listen to the arguments
and to place counter petition with
the commissioners opposing the raise
of rates. Mr.. w. l.. Gray represented
the counter-petitioner The petition
placed III the hands Of the commission
by Mr.. Gray was signed by about sew
enty-five alleged patrons of the tele-
phone company, though Mr.. Richey
contended that there were twelve sign
ers who were not subscribers and pa
that there were twelve more who
would not be affected by the proposed
rates, as they were already paying the
rate asked for.
The petition Of the telephone com
pany sets out, in brief that the com
pany is capitalized at $4,000; that it
has operating, maintenance, deprecia-
tiOn and office expenses of $9,403.lS
and an income Of $7,S99.00 to cover, the
same, showing net loss yearly Of
s1,504.1S. Therefore it prays that the
commission allow it to raise It's pres
ent rates to meet this deficit and to
make needed improvements. The i'm
provements contemplated in the peti-
ton are the placing Of all subscribers
on metallic circuits and making Of re-
pairs on the switchboard now in use.
The rates now in effect and the an
ticipated raise in each case are as fol-
lows:
Business telephones, special lines,
metallic circuit, each now $225; the
company asks to be allowed to raise
this to $780, being 25 cents per month
more.
business telephones, special lines.
ground circuits, each $l.75; to be put
on metallic circuit and raised to $3.50.
Residence telephones, special lines,
metallic circuit, each $500; to remain
as at present.
Residence telephones, special lines,
ground circuit, each $1.50; to be plac-
ed opa,metallic circuit and raised to
5000.
In addition to this the petition pro-
vides for business phones, party lines,
metallic circuit, at $500 per month,
and the same service for residences
at $1.50 per month.
The petition states that by putting
all telephones on a metallic circuit
hearing over all the lines will be made
more distinct; that those patrons now
paying for metallic circuit do not get
the benefit OF the extra expenditure
when talking TO patron using the
ground circuit as the ground circuit
telephone is inferior to the metallic
circuit.
The petition does not state on what
terms subscribers will be given long
distance telephone service, but Mr..
Richey stated, when asked about the
matter yesterday, that the rate for
long distance service is fixed by the
Southern Bell Telephone Co. who owns
the Toll Lines. If the rates for tele-
phone service are raised then all sub
soribers will be put on q metallic cir
cult and will be allowed to talk over
the toll lines by paying the usual fee
for long distance TOLLS.
At present all business telephones
with rate OF 1925 per month have
long distance connection and resi-