St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-04-22
PRESS COMMENT


owned and edited by Lieut.. Gov.
Howe, in its role of premier and de-
fender of Gov. Fletcher's admins
tration, has allowed it's zeal in his
behalf to warp it's Judgment. For
instance it scores the Randolph Her
aid and News and the st. Adams
Messenger as being unfair in their
editorial criticism of the governor
| in the telephone cases just decided.
Now the Standard holds no brief
| for the two papers named, they are
able to fight their own battles, but
we entirely disagree with the Ban
ner in its attempt to 1mpugn the
motives of these papers, our judg-
ment being based solely on the Ian
| guage of their editorial comments.
On the contrary it seems to us
/ that the frame of mind which the
Banner has allowed itself to be
worked into emphasizes the partisan
nature of it's utterances which con-
Germ any phase of Gov. Fletcher
administration.
The Standard has refrained from
comment on the telephone matter
until the case was summed up, but
it has given the investigation careful
consideration and being situated
so as to have first-hand Information
relative to the profits in the tele-
phone business, we have no hesitancy
in lining up with those state papers
which condemn the governors ac-
ton in connection Herewith.
Enosburg Falls is the headquarters
of the largest Independent telephone
company in New England, the So
called Ovitt lines. We have watched
the growth of this organization from
khn 81 Cd NIT
telephone connections until the pres
ent, when it has some $500 connec-
tions. 1t serves the medium-s1Zed
incorporated villages like Richford,
Swanton, Enosburg Falls, Essex
Junction and MOrrisville, together
with numerous smaller villages and
the farming element tributary there
to.
We know that there is no water in
it's capitalization, that its operating
department is ably and economically
managed, that there are no high-sal-
aried officials, and no expensive
buildings to be maintained. 1t gives
an all night and Sunday service and
the property is maintained in a good
physical condition. So far as we
know the rates, SIS per year as a
basis, are acceptable to it's patrons.
This rate has just been approved by
the present public service commits
sion, yet a careful examination of
their reports discloses the fact that
this rate is none too much for the
service rendered and the capital in
vested.
The public service hearing also
disclosed the fact that the $12 rate
of smaller independent companies is
none too large.
Consequently, in forming a judg-
ment regarding the reasonableness
of the New England company's rates,
the rates of the smaller companies
quoted above form a fair basis, and
a relative comparison of the different
systems is sound and just.
The New England Telephone COM
pany has no water in it's capitaliza-
ton, in fact the physical valuation
taken a few years ago by the state
of Massachusetts, disclosed the value
of the plant to be 100000 in ex-
cess of the outstanding capital. This
company is serving the large COM
munities in Vermont like Burlington,
Montpelier, Barre, st. Johnsbury,
Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Sprinfield,
Bennington and Rutland, where the
expenses incident to more congested'
centers and larger exchanges are
greater than in the case of the in
dependent companies.
For instance the company is COM
PEELED to put its wires underground,
and the switchboard and everything
pertaining to the mechanical con-
struction of the exchanges entails a
much greater expense. 1t has to
maintain a higher standard of eff
cheney for toll lines, maintaining cop
per circuits for all long distance ser
vice.
So that it would seem to a fair
and unprejudiced business mind that
the charge of SIS per year made by
the New England company is not
excessive for the service rendered.
This shows a graduated scale of
rates $12 for the smaller and low
standard lines, SIS for the high
standard lines serving medium sized
communities, and SIS for the high
standard lines serving large com
munities.
In the opinion of the Standard all
of these facts could have been ascer-
tanned without any expensive inves-
tigation had the governor so elected.
That he does not regard the rates
charged by the New England as un-
AdlI OT 6ACCoS1NG Is 0NluSuCGQ ny Ills
advocacy of a reduction of the ap-
praisal of the company's property for
the purpose of taxation.
The people of Vermont have no
disposition to judge Governor Fetch
er hastily or treat him unfairly, but
the acts of his administration must
stand the-same analysis that the acts
of all public servants are required to
meet.
On the question of increasing the
taxes of the railways, the Standard
was in accord with Gov. Fletcher
and editorially approved his action.
But we do not hesitate to say that
we consider the great expense in
Cured in the telephone investigation
entirely unwarranted, that the in
vestigation did not disclose condi-
tons that would warrant any change
in the rates of the New England
| company, and that the attidude of
the governor in trying to save mis-
face, after realizing that he had
made a colossal blunder, by calling
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