The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1918-06-06
PROTEST THE PHONE
RATE INCREASE
Commercial Club Can Find No
justification for Demands
of Telephone Company

NETT Commercial Club has sent a
I vigorous protest to the Public Utili-
ties Commission against granting an
increase of local exchange rates as
petitioned for by the Mountain States
. Telephone Company.
, At Monday nights meeting of the
, City Council, that body by a unani-
nous vote adopted the resolutions Of
the Commercial Club and so notified
the Commission.
Il The executive committee considered
the matter at meeting held Friday
afternoon. Beside the committee,
there was present Manager Carson of
the local telephone office. The deli
berations brought out these facts:
That the Mountain States Company
has petitioned the Public Utilities for
general increase of exchange and
toll rates in Idaho.
That three propositions have been
submitted. One is to increase bust
ness phones in towns of Emmett's
class so cents per month and residence
phones 25 cents per month. The second
is TO make no increase in business
phones, but to increase residence
phones 25 cents per month. The third
is to increase toll rates from to 10
cents according to zones.
The committee found that while the
expense of the Emmett exchange had
increased 50 per cent since 1916, the
increase in business amounted to so
percent. For this reason, and other
reasons set forth in the resolutions,
the committee decided to protest
against any increase of exchange rates
here. AS to toll rates, the committee
believes the company is entitled to an
increase.
The resolutions follow:
"To the Public Utilities Commission,
Boise, Idaho.
Gentlemen: Reference is made to
your letter of May 29th requesting an
expression from our organization on
the application of the Mountain States
Telephone and Telegraph Co. to in
crease their toll and exchange rates,
and change the classification OF this
city.
81 am authorized to inform you
that on June l the executive commit
tee of the Emmett Commercial Club
unanimously passed the following
Resolved: That the Emmett Com
mercial Club is opposed to allowing
the Mountain States Telephone and
Telegraph Company to increase its
exchange rates in this place, and the
secretary of the Commercial Club is
hereby instructed to so inform the
Public Utilities Commission of the :
State of Idaho together with the rea- I
sons therefor:
"We object to being included in the
same class as cities having COM
non battery multiple switchboard sys- I
em and to be compelled to pay the '
same rates for the inferior service s
'endered by our magnetic non-multiple /;
,oard, more commonly known as the
System. On page ii of
he Telephone Company's petition we c
tote the following: The cost per .
inc of a common battery multiple =
witchboard is much greater than the n
ost per line of magnetic nom null f
iple board Yet they are requesting il
hat we be put into the same class and +
ubject to the same rates of exchange
S the communities having the COM :,
ION battery system. Against this We a
lost emphatically protest a
"We have no data at hand to dispute y
ne telephone company's showing of 9,
ecessity for an increase of toll rates, ol
ut realizing the increase in labor and n
laterials within the past two years, q
'e are not inclined to protest against
lie increase asked for in toll rates. hi
n the other hand, after survey of bt
lis company's exchange business in q
mmett for the past two years, we al
IN find no justification for the in CO
-eased exchange rates asked for and tn
, protest against your commission ca
lowing the same - 81
"At the beginning of the year 1916 as
e Mountain States Telephone Co. ar
I'd approximately 200 instruments
tached to their switch board at this
ace. On June 1, 1918, according TO IN,
statement made by their local man ha
,er, they had 365 instruments, repre- ch
nting an increase of over 80 per an
MT in their business. During this .o 90,
riod the only additions made to
cir original plant was miles of
raj line and As plugs added to their do
Lu