The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-11-13
Policy of Railroad Commissions Through
out the Country Recognizes That One
Public Utility Serves the Public Better
Than Two - Some Recent Decisions.

public adequate service and reasonable rates.
Since then new school of political science has
gained great Roadway. Competition between
public service corporations produces public loss
for which the public must pay, first by doubling
the cost of construction and maintenance IN many
instances as we'll as doubling the charge for ser.
vices where the community received the benefit OF
both services This condition is peculiar to tele-
phones 1t is now the policy OF the federal and
most every state government to secure the pub
lie adequate services and reasonable rates by pac'
ing public service corporations under the control
of state and federal commissions with ample au-
thorty to secure the pubic in these just and ne
cessary rights "-Kentucky Railroad Commits
sion, July % 1912.
'"The Vermontville Farmers Independent
Telephone Company can unquestionably construct
plant for the territory served, as one unit, at
!ess total cost than even the reproduction value
of the property as found by the Commission but
the new company would divide rather than IN
crease the revenue; it would greatly increase If it
did not double the total operating and mainte-
nance charge; it would duplicate facilities and linz
it the general telephone use, and in those cases
where subscribers found it to their interest to
install both instruments, it would entail practl-
cally a double burden of expense Michigan
Railroad Commission, August 20, 1912.
"The Commission is satisfied that two COM
peting companies cannot operate exchanges in
towns the size of Wisner and Beemer, with profit
to themselves, to the satisfaction OF their sub
scrbers, and that the consolidation of the two
properties will best serve the public, and that the
proposed purchase and sale is bona tide and
should be approved" Nebraska State Railway
Commission, September 26, 1912.
A MULTIPLIED EXPENSE.
'It is true that in order to obtain complete
and satisfactory telephone communication
(Which has become a necessity at this day., the
residents of given territory have frequently
been required to become subscribers of two or
more systems operating over the same field, there
by being burdened with multiplied expense and
inconvenience, when a single SYSTEM II properly
regulated and directed, would have answered ev-
cry demand to better advantage with a lesser
cost to the public and better return to the compa-
n.y. In such a case would decline to grant
certificate of convenience and necessity"
souri, Public Service Commission, August g. 1913.
""The City of New Orleans went into the ques-
ton of telephone service from every viewpoint
very thoroughly, employing an expert. Among
other things set forth in this experts report is
the following:
"The telephone is, in it's very essence,
means of inter-communcation just as much
the postal service. No community would, for
moment, tolerate a dual postal system under
which the letters entrusted to one company could
not be delivered to the patrons of it's competitor.
"a single telephone system promotes general
inter-communication. A dual system renders
thorough INSTRUMENTATION impossible.
dual system of telephones divides the population
of city into two camps and the individual users
must either be content with half a service
must pay, if not double, at least greatly in
creased cost"
at is useless waste and disadvantage be-
side to the general public that the patron of the
telephone should have more than one instrument
in his house or place of business, and more than
one set of wires running to it. No doubt prac-
ticable system of interchanges could be devised
that would do away with the duplication of wires
and apparatus and the unnecessary expense now
often imposed upon those making use of the tele-
phone" - Pennsylvania Railroad Commission,
1912 Report
MANY people think competition is desirable.
1t is, in most things; but competition in connec-
ton with telephones never appealed to me. When
you have one telephone system and you have a
Public Service Commission or a controlling Board
with authority to compel that company to furnish
instruments to intending subscribers and to fur
niSh proper service with control over the rates
that that company shall charge there is no neces-
sity for an additional company exploiting that
field The exploitation of competing lines in towns
and cities is simply waste of capital and cause
of irritation in municipalities where duplicate
lines exist. The reason why competition is good
is because it brings about better service and
rates are normal A controlling commission, such
as the Ontario Railway Board, dealing with all of
the local companies controlling the service, con-
trolling the various features connected with their
operation and controlling rates, makes it quite