Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-18
PHONE PETITION
HEARING BEGINS
At ST. ALBANS

st. Adams June 17-The hearing on
he petitions of the Franklin County
telephone company and numerous sub
crbers that the company be permitted
o charge the rates that existed before
March IA last began this morning be-
ore the public service commission OF the
state, all the members of the commas
lion, Robert G. Bacon of Brattleboro,
chairman, w. r. Warner of Vergennes
ind Park II. Pollard of Proctorsville,
,eing present. as was Neil c. Clawson,
.lerk of the board. NJ. h. Jones of Bos-
ION appeared for the company; stephen
&. Royce of this city for the telephone
iscrs and Warner A. Graham of Bellows
Falls was entered as special counsel for
The State The hearing was held at the
,ity court room at the city hall 1t
opened at nine o'clock and adjourned 1T
u:O5
The commission issued an order last
March calling for reduction of rates Tor
certain services of the company.
At the opening of the nearing MT
Graham announced that His only interest
IN the matter was to raise the question
Of jurisdiction Of the commission to act
ON the petitions He said that they were
brought. in his opinion for the purpose
Of modifying the order of the commits
sion calling for reduction of rates ana
oa tho case was pending in the Supreme
Court of Vermont on the appeal of the
company he raised the question III Ju'i'
diction until the case comes pach i'''''
that court He also stated t'a' "e va
derstood that the company 'au NV a.
tempted to comply with the orueI Vi 'iio
commission.
For the company MI Jones rePiicu
that the petition was not prouSHt lol
the purpose of modifying the order OF
the commission but was petition TO
the board to issue new oroer paseu
on new evidence which he hoped to
present. He pointed out that the en-
forcement of the order was tempofar-
lily restrained at the time the appeal
was taken and that he was unable to
see why the appeal to the supreme
court killed the jurisdiction OF the
public service commission over the
telephone company Mr.. Jones said
that the company is making an in
creased investment of about $4,000 in
its plant; that it must set aside de-
probation fund and that the rent eX-
pense had been much increased be-
cause of the necessity of larger quar-
tiers in connection with the installation
of the common battery system.
RIFLES CASE TO PROCEED
.. ,eo,o,,oo WITH Mossrs
,,,1r,, a,,, Da1,ord Cbair,nor pocon
said that the question of jurisdiction
' NV
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10 pioceeu tio ooIhPahS "ouiu eo On
WIN 'hc WORN Inns was uolle' ne
ASKED ior ne" oruer making the
present rates s'ailu' lie saiu II "ouIu
De necessary TO porro" ABOUT S2o'ooo
"iich couio hot ne uoile at an interest
Ia'e less 'haH Sin per cent IL the
lower rates are leIt IN erect there can
DC no plollt anu even II present rates
are maintained there can pc no diVl-
uehu III 'He near Auture' inns is OF
inipor lance 10 81 Alpahs because OF
'he ldrSe amount Oh STOCK held mere
S. f. ROYCE FOR CITIZENS
man i''OoH 'ileh chieu on IT. H.
a. ii' H''' P4eo4uehI Vi me 81 Adams
BUSINESS anu iroAess'ohai Men assocla-
'ioh' VINO III turned asked MI Royce to
appear ioi 'he 'i'l"ehs' MI royce SAID
ne ht'u MOI expected 10 pe called upon
III Inc matter Out he STATED the position
VI 'he c'li%ehs' re sao lhat SO lar as
ne khe" there had been no complaint
ABOUT the Ola rates ana the service had
peeh soou' HVeh better service now
ever was wanted ana that was the rea-
son the petltion 10: the installation or