Barton County democrat., 1915-01-01
MAY RAISE PHONE RATES.
Company Petitions Utilities Com
. mission For Increase in
Rates


state board of Public Utilities by
DR.. H. E. LindaS, president of the
Arkansas Valley Telephone Com
pany, asking for permission to
raise the rental telephone rates in
this city. 1t is not known as yet
just when the petition will be
heard by the Commission, but it
will probably be several weeks
on account of the large amount of
work already ahead of them, and
during the time intervening a
number of articles will appear in
the papers of the city as adver-
tiSing from the telephone COM
pany, giving their side of the
question and explaining to the
people just why this raise is ne
ceSSary in order that satisfactory
service may be given the patrons
and at the same time the company
be returned a fair return on their
investment.
At the first glance at the propo-
Sition of this kind the public is
very apt to return snap judgment
in the matter and feel that they
are being held up in the increase
of rates but we believe that a
careful investigation of the mat
Ter will prove that the telephone
company is justified in asking for
the increase from the fact that in
stead of showing a profit they
have actually sustained a loss dur
ing the last few years of their
operation of the business, and
this is not from the fact of poor
business management but from
the fact that the service they have
been rendering has been such as
to make their rates entirely too
low.
The people of Great Bend will
well, and unpleaSantly, remember
the telephone business as it was
conducted in this city for a num-
Der of years after it was, first in
Stituted in the city, and they will
also remember, and with graft
tude, that since taking charge of
the plant, DR.. LindaS has steadily
improved the service until at the
present time it is as good as that
given anywhere in the state, and
far better than that rendered in
most places.
When the exchange was built
and the new switch boards INSTALL
ed a few years ago, there was talk
at that time of an increase in the
rates, but inaSmuch as times dur
ing the past two years have been
anything but prosperous and the
company desired if possible to
maintain the old rates, no increase
was asked for at that time. Now
times are good, the equipment of
the exchange and the service rem
dered are as good as can be found
anywhere, and while the affairs
of the company have been con-
Quoted in the most economical
manner possible, without interfer-
ing or taking away from the SER
vice in any way, yet the books of
the company show that they are
not only not making fair re-
turn on their investment but are
actually losing money, and they
feel that the public, when they
thoroughly understand the mat
ter, will be in favor of giving them
a reasonable increase.
The new rates as proposed will
be So per month for phones for
the business houses, and $1.25 per
month for residence phones. This
is really only asking for a raise
for the business phones for the
rate for residence phones at the
present time is S1.25 per month
unless the phone is on a four
party line, but if the new rate
goes into effect the four-party
lines will be discontinued and all
phones in the residence section
will be on the two party or indi-
vidual line, thus rendering even
better service than at the present
time. The new rates will simply
be on a par with those in other
cities of the same class as Great
Bend and will be lower than those
in Hutchinson where no better
service is given than in this city.
: DR.. LindaS is absolutely fair in
the matter and invites the closest
investigation of anyone who is
interested in the proposition,
as well as the members of the
Utilities Commission who have
the mower fo cav whether fhe