Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-01-04
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 CONSIDER PHONE CASE
At Luncheon at Fines Today in Sane Manner. Resolutions Endorsing Managers of State Farms.

| Managers of State Farms. The most important meeting the the trustees of the Chamber of Commerce In some time was held yesterday noon with a luncheon at the Pines Hotel. As evidence of the importance of the meeting, there were tWenty-two of the twenty-four members present.
 Among the other important issues which were laid on the table was the matter of the increase in rates an- nounced recently by the telephone company, to take effect on the first of January.
 Mayor Bloom Presents Phone Question
 Mayor Simon Bloom was present at the meeting and presented the ques- , tlon of the change in schedule of rates by the telephone company. He stated that he came to the trustees because they represented the business interests, and that the city council desired to do what the business inter ests wanted done. He further stated that he wanted advice as to what &C., tion the council might take in the matter.
 The mayor said he had been pre- sented a letter by a telephone official originating with the Postmaster Gen. eral, stating tha1 Pine Bluff exchange was not reecv, enough to pay ex- penses, and even the increased rates would barely do so, but that he had not investigated the receipts and ex- penses of the telephone company. In reply to telegrams which Mayor Bloom sent to Senators Kirby and Taylor, messages were received and read to the board of trustees. Their reply was in effect that the Post Off, flee Department could not, at this time, suspend the rates they found necessary. But that the city would be given hearing at any time.
 Mayors Contention.
 Mayor Bloom feels that while the people of the city are extremely pa- triotic, and have given their all for the support of the government during the time of emergency, yet he feels that they should be given considera- tion after the critical period has pass ed. and should be told by the tele- phone company when the rates will be lowered, or how long, approxi mately, the new ones will be in eff feet.
 Citing the instances of railroads, Mayor Bloom stated that increased tariffs were made by the government, but in that case the people were told how long to expect the altered rates.
 Mayor Bloom further contends that the telephone people were given a franchise by the city for period of twenty-five years, and that eleven years of that has already expired. In that franchise, according to his state ment, the telephones were to furnish service at certain rates. And he asks the pertinent question that if the re- ceipts of the company showed great percentage of increase, would the company lower the rates. Mayor Bloom said that when he asked a tele- phone official how long the rates would apply, he received the rather ambiguous answer that the company had never made any money out of Pine Bluff. These opinions were not made at the meeting however, but in a private interview with a Graphic reporter.
 Sane Reasoning By Trustees.
 After the question had been raised in the meeting by the mayor, several members of the board of trustees spoke concerning it. The concensus of opinion, according to Secretary E. B. Bloom, is that the telephones are now under government control, and since the Postmaster General had or dered an increase on the grounds that additional revenue was necessary, the citizens of Pine Bluff should, as they have in the past, gracefully acquiesce in all demands made by their gov ernment.
 However, the president was given permission to appoint committee to confer with the city council as to any action which might be deemed neces- sary, after the government had re- leased it's control of telephone and cable @companies-not before.
 { The board of trustees, according to MT. Bloom, discussed the matter in a sane, sensible manner, not allowing civic patriotism to interfere, with good judgment and national patriot ism. MT. Bloom further stated that he had received no comploints from anyone since the new schedule of rates had been announced.
 He said further that the people of Pine Bluff were now getting better rates from the company than the peo- pie of Little Rock for the same class of phones. He pointed out that when any public service corporation is los ing money on operations that the ser vice ofsthe company would necessar- ily be impaired.
 w. L. Jones, district manager has stated that Pine Bluff was the last city on the list to have the rates rais- ed on account of the manner in which the city handled the telephone strike. In recent interview with the Graphic, Mir. Jones showed the sched- ule of new rates, and showed the ex- pressed will of the government off, cials in the matter.
 Other Rusinnss