The Prescott daily news., 1914-05-01
TELEPHONE RATES

.oment is made by the local Annva .ssa exchange that beginning EtpDVg, ,st the rates for both business ',s ', ...;dence li% phones will be increased a, II,i'sss 9 ,',,s to say that many subscribers s''' .s 0biect to this increase tor two l,,Ds ', vs. They think the present rate 'I,s Ash enough and they are not aoie ry more. Appropos the ne announce, innoosssd si' 'uots at length from an editorial " s'y weeks ago in Reedy's Mirror s' 1onis.l, suggested by the propos- 7. the Bell Company to the Public tItjes Commission that the rates au be increased: p,ouosal is made by the south o .9..lr f.vpv'TTe Telegraph & Telephone Com sHin w ntherwise the Bell company, to ay, Stste osl'F Public Utilities Commission 2. 'Ss' .ss company shall increase its ss. 'i' ;u the City of St. Louis. The 'ss ssrt {" of the increase does not par la'ar'v ya,t v, matter here. The point IS aA,r' ]. .n increase is asked. The com % 2, ~ savS it must increase the rates w ..uss ' of recent increases in labor < losses due to a long strike and ssr things. It presents Tn support M ss nroposal the report of the now |tmet mn [ Municipal Utilities Commls- Dn a to the effect that the service at s,srt rates is unproftable. The ,ts ,t Board of Public Utilities will S upon the application for the raise rates.
 Ss public receives resentfully any erestion of an increase in telephone fss % It has had more than enough he increase of the high cost of liv- and it has been so enlightened as the high fnanciering of public util- es that it is ready to believe, on Int evidence, that the best and only e reason for a raise in rates Is It the directors "need the money to Ike up for what they may have talk from the company in ways diver devious. Public temper in this ' is decidedly not favorable to n consideration of any proposition nreaSe the cost of service by any Die service corporation. An inn |SOn prevails widely that tele- Pne service is cheaper in many oth- dties, large and small, than 1t is Evidence absolutely irrefutable will necessary to convince us of the jus of raise in rates. There must no qulbbling, The company must all its cards upon the table. The DIG will not put up more money telephones in order to pay divi- ts upon watered stock, and it will ulre strongest proof that the wage saSe in the rendering of service Nat enough to make it necessary all that increase shall come out me public and not out of the com " Most persons do not believe at corporation actually gets into such hole as the telephone com wants to make the public pull but of.
 ms question like that of railroad before the public and those aaAltles which have not yet had R'l With 1t may expect it sooner .1 What Mir. Reedy has to say aF attitude of the public in St. aN true of other cities. It would v Tar to venture a criticism or s'l0n without first having the slally presented, but as the Mir AssestS, the point is that an in- IS asked. Arkansas has no D Utilities Commission to whom question can be referred. It a 'He legislature periodically , ss'Olumn Of testimony presented ''eeS against proprosed bills
 !" regulate the rates would S'efal books. Both the public 4s telephone companies have a ,,I Ius S treated fairly in the mat to,' Ie present tendency of such s'l' is toward government own ,a " control. Whose fault is it 'Itl IT why is it that government s,4 ss suggested? Public service s r'a'as .a sl have very delicate sit
 ts,, % peal with and it is true per
 hn a some of them are doing ss Do. uu'y to the public, and if b,,,Ts'. T'' they will wake up some \, 'tslae ca. that they are no longel E themselves. '''' p"0''e are 'N HlCfeaSp h, D..