The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-17

lions as to command such respect
from both the public and the cor
porations that both will without
question accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public would
in this way get all the advantages
and avoid all the manifest disadvan-
tages of public ownership.
We believe that centers of bust
ness and population exist for the
convenience Of the public as a'whole,
and that no such center can prosper
without sufficient and efficient
means of intercourse with other cen
tiers and tributary territories; that
such means can only be afforded by
prosperous utility and service COM
panies and that fair rates are essen
tlal to prosperous companies. We do
not believe that any public either
desires or can obtain, nor can any
service or utility furnish, permanent
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 its
fair cost, either through the loss of
the capital involved, the losses Incl
dent to poor service or the necessary
increase in charges required to pay
for duplication Of capital.
We believe that the highest COM
mercial value of the telephone scrv-
ice depends on its completeness =
on the extent and comprehensive
ness of. the facilities for intcrcom-
muniCatfon, not only between indi-
viduals but between centers of popu-
lation: that no isolated section can
be considered Independently of any
other section or of the whole; that
rates must be so adjusted as to
make it possible to obtain the maxi.
mum development by making 1t pos
sible for every one 10 be connected
who will add to the value of the sys-
TEN, thus giving the greatest value
to the greatest number; that the in
tcrdepcndence of the telephone serv-
ice and the value of complete and
universal Accommodation juSti-
fly 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 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
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
standards of plant and apparatus, to
carry on such scientific and expert
mental research and inventions as
to apparatus and methods as to in
sure the highest standards, and to
carry to reserve and depreciation
such amounts as will enable the
company ut any time TO replace 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
investment in plant as will enable
!. the company at any time to obtain
money necessary to provide the
plant required to meet the coGtinu>
ing demands Of the public; and i'll
order that waste and duplication of
effort may be avoided and uniform
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