The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-08-21
TELEPHONE RATES
TO Be BOOSTED
BUT PUBLIC WILL GET BETTER
SERVICE
New Public Utilities Commission In
strumental in Solving Vex-
atious Problem.

Consistently with about everybody
else the telephone companies of
Michigan have been contemplating a
raise in rates. With that end in view
their representatives met at Lansing
recently, being more or less in con-
sultation with the newly created Pub
lie Utilities Commission, the results
of the meeting being stated in the
communication which follows:
August Ia, 1919.
Charles H. Reed,
Publisher of The Clio Messenger,
Clio, Michigan.
Dear Sir:
AT conference of telephone COM
panies and large number of NUM-
cipalities held in the offices of the
Attorney General of the State, at
Lansing, Michigan, during the past
week, said conference being held at
the suggestion of the Michigan Pub
lie Utilities Commission, it was
agreed, and said agreement was pre-
sented to the Public Utilities Commits
sion by the Attorney General for the
State, that uniform rates for service
should be established for the whole
state, said uniform rates being based
upon the populations of the various
cities and villages wherein are locat-
ed the telephone exchanges.
The various cities and villages
were arranged in groups according to
population. Group one comprises all
places of two thousand inhabitants
or less. In this group is Clio. The
rates for service in group one, there
fore the rates for service in Clio Ex-
change, are the following:
Individual line business, $500 per
month or $24.00 per annum.
Individual line residence, $150
per month or $500 per annum.
Party line residence, $1.25 per
month or $500 per annum.
No rate was agreed to for farm
service, but the rates for farms in
Clio will probably be $1.50 per month
or $500 per year.
With uniform rates comes uniform
conditions, this means that all tele-
phone exchanges in community
must be merged, consolidated or CO.
ordinated coordination of service
is had by physical connection and an
interchange of service between prop
erties.)
Coordination of service at Clio
means the physical connection of the
lines of the Michigan State Telephone
Company with Clio Exchange of Val
ley Home Telephone companies sub
scribers who will have access to and
service over the lines of the Michigan
State Company will have access to
subscribers Of the Valley Home Tel
ephone company in Clio for all incom-
ing business over their lines.
If this condition is brought about,
then Clio subscribers will be able to
get all Bell subscribers in Flint or
anywhere, because of said physical
condition, This will materially aid
and assist Valley Home Telephone
subscribers in Clio in handling their
business affairs.
The rates that will be charged for
service in Clio will be $24.O0 for busi-
ness telephones, $500 for individ-
ual line residence, $500 for party
line residence and $500 for farms.
But the additional service and the
benefits derived from the co-ordina-
ton or physical connection and in
terchange of service between the
exchange of Valley Home Telephone
company and the lines of the Mich
igan State Telephone company will
be worth additional price. Further
more, the increased cost of doing
business today, such as increased
wages to employees, higher prices for
materials and supplies, ETC., make il
necessary that telephone companies
get higher price for their product
than they did two or three years ago.
And telephone service is a product
fully as much as flour, baking pow
der, lumber or groceries.
1t is absolutely necessary that tel
ephone companies have higher rates
for service in order to pay the in
creased cost of doing business. This
was recognized by the Michigan Pub
lie Utilities Commission, and is recog-
nized by every rate making body and
by all courts of every state in the
Union.
Yours truly,
Valley Home Telephone Co.
Clyde o. Trask,
President.