Americus times-recorder., 1919-04-28
PHONE RATES
ADVANCE SOC
MONTHLY HERE
STARTING MAY |
Residence Service to Be $2.50-..N
Schedule for Whole South by
BurIeson'S Order

A new schedule of telephone rates
will go into effect in Americus May
J., in accordance with the order of
the United States Telephone and Tele-
graph Administration altering rates
in every town and city In which the
Southern Bell and Cumberland COM
panies operate. While the general an
nouncement of the new rates says that
the changes amount to "re-adjust-
ment" of rates, and are not an in
crease in all cases, Americas is af-
fected only in the way of increases
and to the extent of 80 cents per
month on all contracts. Following
are the new local rates, as announced
today by Manager Westbrook:
Residence Phones, old rate 81
monthly .................. $3.50
Business Phones, old rate
$3.50 monthly .$400
The announced new rates for Ma
con are:
Business Service.-Special Line, un-
limited, $3.50 per month.
Residence SerVice.-Special Line,
unlimited, 1925 per month two par
ty, unlimited, $2.75 per month.
The new rates in ATLANTA are to be:
Business Service.-Special line, un-
limited, $3.50 per month.
Residence Service. Special line,
unlimited, 81. per month; two party,
unlimited, $500 per month.
To Meet Deficit.
The purpose of these new rates, ac-
cording to the information filed Satur-
day in Atlanta with the State Railroad
commission, is to meet, as nearly as
possible under commercial conditions,
a heavy deficit which is being accumu-
lated during the period of operation
of the telephone properties by the
United States government, and which
can be met in no other manner tha
through revision of rates, except by
direct payment from the United States
treasury.
In the letter of transmission with
which the Southern Bell and Cumber-
land companies file these new sched
ules of rates in this and other states
in which they operate, the several
state commissions are invited to call
upon the companies for any financial
or statistical data showing cost of
operation and income, all of which
the companies offer to submit in sup
port of the new rate schedules. At
tached to the schedules is copy of the
order of the postmaster general to the
operating board of the United States
Telephone and Telegraph Administra-
tion approving these rates and direct
ing that they be put into effect at
the earliest practicable moment; and
copy of letter from the operating
board to the companies, directing that
these new rates be put into effect May
1, cor at the earliest date thereafter
consistent with the ability of your or
ganiZation to handle the details"
BurleSOn'S Order.
The postmaster generals order di-
recting the putting into effect of the
new rates, which is attached to the in
formation filed with the several State
Commissions, says:
''In this connection I desire to call
your particular attention to the fact
that, owing to prevailing high costs
of labor and material, the deficit from
operating is growing daily, and to
meet this condition every effort should
be taken to insure the government
against loss from operation during the
period of federal control"
1t is, therefore, with the particular
view in mind of protecting the federal
treasury against the heavy burden of
providing a considerable sum-ap-
proximately $4,000, 0,000-for the year
1919, to make up the difference be-
tween what the service is costing the
United States government to render
and what that operation, in service to
the public, brings in the form OF rev.
erue for the service given, that the
new rate schedules are made, to be-
come effective May /, says the COM
pany.
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