Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-06-07
SLIGHT RAISE TO RR MADE
IN TELEPHONE RATE

The council met In regular session
Wednesday night. with the mayor
and all councilman present except
5meath.
The annual appropriation oFdi-
nance was introduced and passed un-
der the suspension Of rules.
Bids were opened for aprlnkiinE
the streets for the ensuing year. Only
two bids were submitted. one by Jim
VIM, Offering to do the work at the
rate OF SO cents an hour. aud one by
Easton kelsey at so cents an hour. A
motion to award the contract TO Mr.
Kelsey was defeated by . vote of three
TO two. BY motion. the council then
rejected both bids and directed the
clerk TO rO-advertisa for bids for this
work. the bids to be opened at the
regular meeting Wednesday night,
JUne -.
Some time was spent in the dlacus-
sion OF the telephone service in Mont
pelier. A short time ago the Mont
tain States Telephone Co. nled With
the public utilities commission At
Boise . petition asking for permls.
sion to readiust and raise Its rates on
local and long distance calls. The
company stated that the raise vas
asked for because OF the heavy In
crease In the cost OF all material en-
.eFing into the construction and MP
keep OF lie system and the increase IN
wages TO its employees.
The utilities commission notified
the council that II Il wished 10 enter
4 protest against the proposed raise
the sams should be HIed with the
commission By the l0th Of thia
month.
In the company's proposed new
schedule OF rates the towns In lie ter
ritory are classified according 70
population. The proposed rate does
not change the charge ON basineas
phones in Montpelier. bat Increase
the charge ON single residence limos
from 81 to s2.26 q month, and on
two party lines from S1.7B to 80 q
month. A slight increase is 20 be
made on Ions distance service for all
points over Is miles from the place
of calling.
District Manager Jones, Special
Representative Hyde. District Trafic
Chief Dressler and Local Manager
Summers we're present and discussed
the local situation with the mayor
and council. Mr. Hyde explained In
detail the absolute need Of an In
crease in rates 81 this time. He
stated that for the pear 1917 the
eompany's expenses In Idaho we're
100000 IN excess OF its revenue and
90 far this year there bad been a
greater pToportlonate increase Of ex
penditures over the revenue than
there was during the same period in
1917. He said that II the company
was not permitted 70 obtain relief BY
increasing its rates II would simply
have 10 shut up shop" and go out Of
business.
The sentiment OF the mayor and
council regarding the proposed in-
crease in rates was that there vas no
serious objections 70 the raise n the
company would give the service It's
patrons here are entitled 20. In reply
TO thia. District Manager Jones prom
ised that conditions would be differ
ent here In the future. He said shs
local plant was going 20 be over
hauled and II the present operating
force VAS unable togfVe the daaiFad
service. the company would replace
the force with those who were com
Detent. He requested that all com.
plants for poor service be registered
either with the local manager or d.
rect 10 him. instead Of with the Rirla
at ths beard.