Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-07-16
TELEPHONE MEN PLEAD FOR HIKE
 IN PHONE RATES Cite Figures to Council to Show Loss of $7,000
 for 1918. LACK OF QUORUM
 PREVENTS ACTION Aldermen Take a Hand in Sunday Closing Controversy Between Fruit Dealers and Order
 Them Closed.

The Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company is operating it's Pine Bluff exchange at loss of ap- proximately $500 a month, according to figures compiled by the company and read by representatives at a in support of their plea to be allow ed to increase rates in Pine Bluff from $3 to $4 on business and $2 to $2.5O on residence telephones.
 The ordinance granting the increas- ed rates was read once and placed on the calendar because the necessary two-thirds majority of aldermen was not present to amend the rules and place it on it's second reading. The finance committee will go over the statement of revenues and expenses and the ordinance will come up again at the next meeting.
 Lost $820 In 1917
 In 1917, according to the state- ment read by w. 6. Winters of Little Rock, commercial engineer, the total revenue was $79,378 and the expenses for the year exceeded that amount by $820. Easing an estimate for 1918 revenues on revenues of the first five while the expenses would beS85 656 a months the total would reach $78,615, loss of more than $7,0OO. If the in- crease asked for is granted the rev. enues would be swelled to $94, 4,584.40, but this would give return of only 2 4-10 per cent on the investment.
 However. since the statement was compiled, June 1, two items at the local exchange have increased the ex- pense, said s. A. Lane of Little Rock, commercial superintendent, in an ad- dress to the oldermen In addition since June 1 wages of clerks has in- creased 10 per cent and the wages of maintenance men about 30 per cent. MT. Winters said.
 In full capacity and with the in- creased rates in effect the company would earn a profit of only 4 per cent on the investment.
 MT. Lane explained that bad ser- vice, which has been the subject of much complaint lately, was due to the installation of additional equipment in the operating room, and said that improvement in the service already was noticeable.
 Close Fruit Stands Sundays
 The council took a hand in the Sum- day closing controversy between fruit stand owners by authorizinc the may or and police chief to see that such firms are closed all day Sunday. Six firms voluntarily agreed to close at 1 D. m. on Sundays.
 Hundreds of blocks of street have been graded the past two weeks. &C., cording to a report made bp Street Commissioner Leonard Carver. Mayor Bloom gave much of his time to this work and it is partiall-- due to his efforts that it was done. Alderman w. c. McBryde told the council. The following streets are those which were graded:
 Sixth from Ohio to the east city limits: Seventh and Eighth from the ravine to the eastern city limits; Fifth from State to Ohio; all cross streets from Fourth to Ninth: east of the ravine; Virpinia from Firth to Eighth, Missouri from Fifth to Thir- teenth; Texas from Fifth to Seven teenth; Tennessee from Fiftr to Ninth; Morris from Fifth to Eighth; Poplar from Sixth to Twentieth, .Lin- den from Tenth to Twenty-fourtn, Mulberry from Tenth to Twentieth; Ash from Thirteenth to Twentieth; Locust from Thirteenth to Twentieth: Plum from Thirteenth to Fifteenth, Cedar from Fourteenth to Nineteenth, Fourteenth and Seventeenth from Laurel to, Cedar. Eighteenth from Elm to Cedar! Eighth from Laurel to Railroad avenue.