Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-10-30
Wants Increased Telephone Rates.

! The Jefferson County Telephone
Company, which is a local organize
ton that has been we'll managed from
its beginning, has made application tc
the Public Service Commission oil
West Virginia to increase its rates, and
the commission announces that il will
hold hearing on the oath of Novem-
Der next, in Charleston, the State
capital.
The company asks for an increase
from $50 to S4S on direct business
line, and from S24 to $50 to four
party and multi-party line; for resi-
dence phones it asks that the direct
line service be increased from S24 to
line, and from S24 to $50 to four
and multi-party line. Ministerial and
operators rates one-half of regular
rate; extension stations, Sc, desk sets
So additional. All Of the above rates
are per annum. A charge of $3.50 for
installing new phones is asked for,
moving telephone on same premises So,
and changing name in directory, Sl.50.
Installation of a charge of five cents
| for calls between exchanges
So far as the Register views the
matter, the advance asked for by the
company is modest one and doubt
less ought to be granted, except for the
charge for calls between exchanges.
General Manager H. c. Getzendanner
has prepared statement showing the
present salary and wage list to be on
basis of S9,216 at present, as against
S5,508 in 1916, and this is not taking
into account the heavy increase in the
cost Of materials and equipment An
estimate shows further that by 1920
the salaries and wages will reach
total Of S11 800 per annum. The tel
ephone company has kept the rates
down for the past couple Of years
when il was probably justified in ad-
vancing them, and its subscribers
should appreciate this. The increased
rate asked for is only fifty cents a
month, except in the matter of direct
line service, where the increase is
dollar a month. This is certainly not
unreasonable, considering all condi-
tons.
But we do not think that the charge
for calls between exchanges should be
enforced-we wish that the company
would abandon this demand, at least
until il finds ii an absolute necessity
after trying out the increase in phone
rates. Jefferson county is none too
large for general service. The Har-
per's Ferry exchange, for instance,
has but Is telephones connected up,
and SPA and $50 seems a stiff enough
rate for such limited service, without
the additional five cents for calls to
other exchanges. Shepherdstown has
about 200 phones and Charles Town
about ATS. making total of few over
800 phones, only, in the county. COM
pared with the thousands of phones
that are accessible to persons in larger
towns and in the cities, il seems to
us that it is hardly fair to impose an
additional tax for calls beyond our
strictly local exchange.
The Jefferson County Telephone
Company has always been considerable
and fair in its dealings with its pa
irons, and as a result the utmost good
feeling has prevailed. We hope that
the directors and the liberal-minded
manager will not press their request
for the charge for service between
exchanges. We believe by yielding in
this that there will be no serious OPP
position to the application for an in
crease, and that all sides may continue
to be happy and contented.