The log cabin Democrat., 1913-09-03

only be afforded by prosperous util
 ity and service companies and that fair rates are essential to prosperous companies We do not believe that any public either desires or can ob- tain, nor can any service or utility furnish, permanent and efficient ser vice at less than cost, including cap- ital charges. We believe that ulti- mately the public either directly or indirectly pays the losses involved in the efforts to furnish such service at 1 less than its fair cost, either through the loss of the capital involved, the losses incident to poor service or the necessary increase in charges required opay for duplication of capital.
 We believe that the highest con- mercial value of the telephone service depends on it's completeness-on the extent and comprehensiveness of the facilities for intercommunication, not only between individuals but between
 
 section can be considered independ- ently of any other section or of the whole; that rates must be so adjusted as to make it possible to obtain the rmaximum development by making it possible for every one to be connected who will add to the value of the sys- tenn, thus giving the greatest value to the greatest number; that the inter dependence of the telephone service and the value of complete and uni versal ntercommunication justify and require some services partly at the expense of the whole for the bene- fit of the whole.
 We believe that this highest con- mercial value can only be attained by one system under one common control and that it cannot be given by inde- 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 50 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 experi- 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- veloped and found to be to the advan- tage 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 continuing demands of the public and in order that waste and duplica- tion of effort may be avoided and uni formity of purpose and common con- trol be enforced, that there should be a centralized general administration in close communication with and hav- ing 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 fair basis should be used by the company for the benefit of the public and should be alienable for any other purpose, and should be either in vested 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 proper gov ernmental control and regulation the profits from promotion or operation allowed to be distributed should not be so large as to warrant or tempt complete duplication of plant and or ganization, with its duplication of it's