Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-02-04

Brattleboro, Jan. 31.-There was
no oral argument of the telephone rate
case before the public service COM
mission today. Major Graham, OF
counsel for the state, said he had no
to argue orally. Counsel for the New
England Telephone and Telegraph
company and it's subsidiaries said
that it no brief on the part of the COM
plalnants was to be answered, they
would not ask to be heard orally but
would rest their case with the filing
OF a brief.
In this brief to show cause why an
order should not be issued reducing
local and toll rates, they protest that
such an order would be unjust and
contiscatory; that no evidence to sup
port the allegation that the rates are
unreasonable has been adduced; and
that the uncontrOverted testimony OF
the defendants shows that the service
in Vermont is of just as high a stand
ard as service furnished in other parts
OF its territory while the rates charged
therefor are as low, if not lower, than
the rates charged for like service in
other sections.
They further claim that on thei1
proved investment in the state the net
profit under existing schedules is less
than 2 percent for the combined five
companies and less than 1 percent for
the New England company considered
separately.
The effect of the proposed schedule,
they claim, would be to wipe out their
present small margin of profit and
leave these five companies with an
annual operating deficit of over $50,
600, which deficit would be increased
for 1914 by some SIS 200 resulting
from the Increased taxation of these
companies.
In this state the New England COM
pany claims to have 3.59 percent OF
It's plant investment, which invest
ment contributes only 2.39 percent Of
Its gross revenue. In Massachusetts,
1t is able to get thirty five subscribers
to the average square mile of terri
tory, while in that section of Vermont
operated by the New England COM
pany it gets an average of only S1s
subscribers to the square mile, and
only 51a subscribers to the square mile
in the territory served by the New
England company and it's four sub
sidiaries when considered as unit.
The brief begins with short state
ment Of the case and Of the issues
presented, and says there is really
only one issue involved-the reason
ableness or justice of the defendants
present schedule of rates. 1t then
calls attention to the statute and case
law casting the burden of proof in
treatment of elementary law which is
said to be necessary only because of
the anomalous nature of the COM
plant, and the effort of the complain
ants to appear as defendants before
the commission.
The preface then proceeds "to cal
attention to the testimony which ef-
fectually nails certain doubts and
criticisms largely immaterial to the
issue, but deXterously thrust into the
record by the complainants. AS al
the hearings, SO now the companies
welcome the opportunity to explain
to the commission and to the public
of Vermont their financial history
their record of dividends and ne1
earnings and to give the fullest detail
OF the telephone business Of Yer
mont"
The brief calls attention more than
once to the fact that no evidence was
presented in support OF the allegation
Of unreasonable rates, although the
| state had a consulting telephone ex-
pert in attendance for several weeks
and with reference to it's own pre-
sentation says: ''The facts upon which
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being the winning side. The reds viii
1 Il - IT