The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-27
Preparing Petition Asking Per
mission to Make Genera
Advance in Rates
ENTIRE STATE IS
AFFECTED THROUGH
CONNECTING LINES
Corporation Commission Seek,
Aid from Maryland in Ar.
irving at understanding OF
Complex Problem

Every telephone subscriber in the
state of Virginia is facing the pros
peci of increased rates,
The Chesapeake and Potomac TeIe-
phone company has In preparation il
petition which Il Is planned TO sub
init to the state corporation commits
sion seeking authority for increases
affecting local and long distance
rates, and which VIII inevitably re-
suit IN like increase by local COM
pRnles connecting with the larger
company s service,
The increase sought for 10 presumed
to be considered necessary by the COM
pApy as "a result Of increased expenses
resulting from war time conditions,
high coat Of materials, such as cop
( per wire. labor and Increased taxes,
/ The petition for this increase Is IN
dsrstood 10 he more far-rsachtag ia
It's scope and ramifcatlons than any
. similar petition by public service
corporation In this state.
/ 1t is understood that the sources Of
additional revenue have been figured
SO fne as IT, include even residential
/ tele phones in policy OF difIesenu-
alton between those subscribers who
| make only occasional use of their
tele phones and those who use them
frequently.
d! The result Of this would be- that
while all telephone subscribers Will be
called upon TO pay increased rsteA
those who utilize the service to "a
large degree will be called upon 10
( pay a proportiouateiy higher Increase.
such a petition has bean fiied by
this company IA Maryland already II
IS understood that the Maryland pub
lie service commission considers the
petition and the multiplicity of prob.
lens ii raises as to all old rates, and
many new elassthcations heretofore
unheard of as the most complex and
difficult il has ever been called upon
to investigate.
, Already the Maryland public SER
! vice commission has spent bstw cen
! $I2.0tg and $4,000 investigating the
| problem involved in this application
( by the telephone company for author
/ ity TO increase rates
The Virginia state corporation com
! mission viii be in position to en-
able the state OF Virginia TO profit
/ from the money spent by the tax
payers of Maryland In Investigating
| the matter A representative OF the
! Virginia corporation commission had
beer i'm Baltimore seeking this infor-
nation tn order that the commission
may be in position to deal intelll -
/ gently with the petition when II is
| presented,
4 ne toLAI contingent l0h0 ktVFtNPN
| for the Virginia state corporation
! commission was $4,000 The gov
| ernor. In his recommendations to the
| assembly at the extended session, had
| reduced this sum to $io,oN0. After the
I subcommittee representing the as
sembiy had conferred with the gov
ernor and strong presentation made OF
the urgency of the appropriation in
order to protect the interests Of the
! nuhlte tina governor changed HIS mind
and consented to permit the assembly
to appropriate the sum OF sis.soe for
this purpose.
Unless the corporation commission
has access to the information obtained
by the money of the taxpayers OF Mary
! land. virginia will enter into oonstd-
/ Grafton of this complicated question
! greatly handicapped.
] 1t is understood that the state Of
i hcisrs Of Maryland are disposed 70
/ come to tho aid of Virginia and sup
ply this information.