The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-07-16
Crcsng BRYAN For Trying To His Extra Living Expenses

good repair and made a very salts
factory profit upon much lower rates
than those charged by the New Eng
land and subsidiary companies Tnis
the investigators say, is all the more
srrnrising when it is considered that
tho independent and connecting COM
panies receive substantially no pene,
AZ from toll business They' nno
that a tax of IL per cent upon tne
cross earnings of the New England
comnanv Is exacted by the American
Bell company in payment for, so lar
90 thav are able to discover mourning
substantial except transmitters anu
receivers rented to the New Ehs-
land company; that the entire gross
revenue of the New England com
nanv for the year 1912 was $685.
28S. and for Vermont for the same
wear $3.50. 1856. The investigators
finally recommend that the burden
in the first instance ought and should
rest upon these public utilities to sat
jsfv the public service commission
that their rates, charges and ousi-
ness methods are fair, just and eqult-
able: state commission having been
established by law to protect the pup
liz against unjust, unfair and I'M
reasonable practices, charges anu
rates.
They recommend 20 per cent re-
duction of toll rates and a substantial
lowering of rates for subscribers
rentals that ought to be put In force
and also recommend such orders by
the commission as will prevent any
increase of rates, tolls, or charges
and any limitation of free zone terri
tory in the future, without the con-
sent OF the public service commls-
sion.
After Gov. Fletcher had studied
the report of Mr.. Graham and Mr.
Cook he addressed the following let
ter to the public service commis-
sion:
ITO the Public Service Commission
of the State of Vermont:
Gentlemen: / herewith transmit
for YOUR consideration and action
the report of Messrs. Il. A COOK ana
w. A Graham, appointed by me 10
investigate the telephone conditions
now existing in this state and VINO
were given authority by your honor
able commission to make such In
vestigation by your order dated June
4, 1918.
This report speaks for itself and
REQUIRES no comment at my hands
except perhaps to suggest, that IN
view of all the circumstances. parti-
cularly the refusal and neglect OF
the telephone company to give Ger
tain information, that the burden
should properly rest upon the tele-
phone company to show that the
present rates are fair just and equit-
able.
Conditions as described in the re-
port of these gentlemen make 1t I'M
peratiye for the state to obtain re-
lief for its citizens, and ] wish to ex-
press my belief that 1t is your plain
duty tdtake such steps and to issue
such orders based upon a liberal and
reasonable Interpretation OF your
powers as will speedily relieve exist
ing conditions and finally determine
the states right to regulate and con-
troll these corporations. If by reason
of such action on your part, ques-
tons of law or equity present them
selves which either the state or the
telephone company may elect to APP
peal to the Supreme court, the state
may properly ask an early adjudicat-
ion of the same and thus determine
whether additional legislation may
be required at the hands of the
special session of the Legislature
which for other reasons ! shall be
compelled to call.
"A. NJ Fletcher.
sCnvarnoru