El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-11-07

/ aQdlllonal aerial cable to Austin Ter
race, $4,000; additional cable 20 Kern
race $1,000; from ls20-25. routine ez-
pense Ior connections and extensions,
sl56sI6o. Total Of all this viii be
se5z,9eO, less a credit Of material
saved OF SIS, 500. leaves 10 be exuend ed
by the company, $751; $50 as stated
Thursday Afternoon Session.
The Thursday afternoon session OF
the telephone rate hearing was taken
up by the city council at 2.30 o'clock.
vice president and general counsel,
Milton Smith, OF the Tristate Iele-
phone company operating in FL Paso,
placed on the stand A. S. Peters, OF
Denver, valuation engineer Of the
company's lines and subsidiaries on
the stand. The latter read as the
principal part Of his testimony an
exhaustive statement showing exact
" how the properties Of the local
company had been appraised.
This was by the use OF q system OF
forms used by means OF which it was
shown that a valuation OF all phys
ical property could be had as ac-
curately as IS humanity practicable. Il
is system, 1ir. Peters said. that Is in
general use among the best valuation
engineers throughout the country and
Is used as basis OF valuing for rate
making for utility concerns before all
public utility commissions.
Service Not The Worst.
Ar. Peters claimed that the cost OF
maintenance. operation. growth and
all requirements since the end OF 1916
TO the present had increased 20 20 IS
percent He said that IN that time an
increase OF wages 70 employees had
been 50 percent, TO operators. 45.lz
percent, and that OF materials as
shown on the average Of los principal
items had been $500 percent. while
the cost OF office supplies and &C
eessories had been from 60 70 100 per-
cent
Mr.. Peters said the company's build
ings and plant we're 100 percent ef-
Gcient"
"Do you mean to say. Mr.. Peters
asked mayor Charles Davis, that
your company has a 100 percent
plznt7"
Yes, sir answered NJ Peters.
You may have returned the
mayor, "hut cannot say that for your
service. I viii admit. however. that
Il IS much better than 7 found in a
number OF eastern cities which ]
visited recently"
Nnlue Of Property ItemiEed-
The valuation figures IS OF august
1. 1913, as based upon the average
cost OF materials IN the four years be-
tween 1913 TO 1915 inclusive as taken
BY MI Peters as a basis for apprais-
ing and which he contends should be
increased 50 percent TOT rare UlaElls
purposes. are as follows; Right Of way
exchange. s139.56: land. s49,927.10;
buildings ss9.6S0-555 central office tele-
phone equipment, S254.447.10; other
equipment Of central office. f52233S;
station apparatus, S63,357.6os station
installations, 2,607.04; interior block
wires, SI735.6I. private branch eX-
changes. s2ts73.72; booths and special
fittings. S1l93.47s exchange pole lines,
Slo6,l54-5Is exchange aerial cables,
11,oo6-09; exchange aerial wires,
sz7, 881s8; exchange aerial drop
wires. S36S3o.46: exchange IN
derground conduit. s11s.227s6; exc
change underground cable. S234.762-7ls
office furniture and fixtures. S9795-s2s
general stable and garage equipment,
S9964.77; general tools and imple-
ments, sS509.46; interest during con-
struction. s70S13.0Q; cost Of establish
ing business. sos. 305.56. total. ST.
581 ,01Sl5. working capital, SO, 227.17s
grand total, Sl,623.245.7
It was agreed that tie rate hearing
should be taken up by the council
Saturday, beginning at 10 a. m
Mavor Davis remarked that the peo-
pie Of FL Paso and the civic orEaniza-
tions seemed TO take no interest IN
the matter. Ponder S Carter had his
stenographer taking down the testi-
mony and proceedings at both the
forenoon and afternoon sessions