The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-17

porous utility and service companies
and that fair rates are essential tC
prosperous companies. We do not be.
lieve that any public either desires
or can obtain, nor can any service
or utility furnish, permanent and eft.
fieient service at less than cost, in.
Guiding capital charges. We believe
that ultimately the public either di.
rectly 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 CAPT
tai involved, the losses incident tc
poor service or the necessary in.
crease in charges required to pay fol
duplication of capital.
We believe that the highest COM
mercial value of the telephone SER
vice depends on its ompleteness-
on the extent and comprehensiveness
Of the facilities for intercommunica
ton, not only between individuals
but between centers of population;
that no isolated section can be con-
sidered independently of any other
section or of the whole; that rates
must be so adjusted as to make it
possible to OBTAIN the maximum de-
velopment by making it possible for
every one to be connected who will
add to the value Of the system, thus
! giving the greatest value to the
| greatest number; that the interde-
pendence of the telephone service
and the value of complete and uni
rersal Accommodation justify
and require some services partly at
the expense of the whole for the ben
eft of the whole.
We believe that this highest COM
mercial value can only be attained
by one system under one common
control and that it cannot be given
by independent systems unless they
are operated under agreements which
result in one common control and
one common interest, in effect max
ing them single system.
We believe that rates should be 50
adjusted as to afford the company
sufflclent 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-
Neloped and found to be to the ad-
vantage of the service. We believe
that in addition, such fair charges
should be paid upon the investment
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 avoid
ed and uniformity OF purpose and
common control be enforced. that
there should be centralized general
administration in close communica
tion with and having general au-
thority over the whole on matters
common to all or matters of general
policy.
We believe that any surplus be-
yond that necessary to equalize divi.
dends on 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 invested in revenue-earning
plant until necessary to substitute
plant which may become inadequate
or obsolete, or should be used to
make the service cheaper or better.
We believe that under nrOOar GOV.