Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-12-02
|pH0NE CHARGES
 TOO HIGH HERE, | COOPER CLAIMS
|City Attorney Declares Pine Bluff Evidently Considered "Easy" by Corporation.
LcOI1NCIL TALKS OVER PROBLEM SECRETLY
public. Press Barred From Executive Session at Which Rates Are Dis cussed-Other Arkansas Cities Fare Better.

The belief that Pine Bluff tele-
 phone users are paying higher rates
 proportionately than those of any
 other city in Arkansas was voiced at last nights meeting of the city
 council by City Attorney A. R. Coop
 er, who based his conclusion on testi.
 mony before the Arkansas corpora Lion commission in Little Rock re-
 cently. MT. Cooper. however, held
 but little hope of obtaining relief for the telephone-using public here un-
 less the council or the people should
 provide fund with which to employ
 expert accountants to obtain figures with which to combat those furnish |ed by the telephone company's ac- tountants to the state commission. After MT. Cooper's report, the
 council went into executive session to discuss this phase of the public
 business, representatives of the tele-
 phone company, newspapers and ali others being excluded. It is possible
 by conferring with members of the council, the mayor or consulting the eity records for the people to obtain Information as to the proceedings re-
 ative to what aid they can expect From their representatives in obtain. tng relief from what the city attor- hey describes as seemingly discrim- fnatory telephone rates.
 Explaining his doubt that no re- lief could be obtained without the of expert accountants,
 Mr. Cooper stated that the corpora kion commission is handicapped by feason of the legislatures failure to make appropriation for the employ ment of experts necessary to present the peoples side of a controversy. Thus, in the telephone rate hearing, the commission is compelled to ac- cept as accurate the figures submit ted by the telephone company, in lieu pf any contradictory information. And the telephone company's figures indicate that the corporation Is re- celving no more than a fair return pm its investment and expenditures.
 =, Fight City Control.
 i The conclusion that Pine Bluff is paying higher rates approximately than other cities was reached by the Pine Bluff city attorney, he stated, on testimony he elicited from the telephone company's representatives at the hearing before the state cor poratlon commission.
 This resulted, it was explained, rom action in 1917, when the tele- phone company found it necessary 10 increase rates. The company, t seems, did not feel like flying in the race" of public sentiment by putting lhto effect a general rate increase, so rates were raised according r>, in the communities.
 q. seemingly, Pine Bluff was one of tne easy" or tolerant" towns, be- cause the Pine Bluff city attorney IIoncludes that rates here were made mgner n,l proportionately than else T Tnere: MT. Cooper said the rate at port smith are the same as those in rlne Bluff, but because of different conditions the Fort Smith rates ap- De pear too low, while he believes the rine ne Bluff rates are too high.
 MT. Cooper also referred to a con. sersatlon he had with the telephone II ttI1lapany's attorney, -.ilo pointed out s.lae should action be taken by Arkan- sas cities to enforce compliance with u,o,,iS .lacts the telephone company ssJ vaio surrender the local franchise, LIu apply to the corporation com M,; TOT an indeterminate permit. laaS. ms acton has been taken bv at Ihase the one corporation at Helena. and rne granting of the indetermina+e +e p;ermit by the corporation commis. sona. sron was upheld by the supreme Thn 1yure last week. MT. Cooper recalled ,me result of such action is to take .;, .H"troi out of the hands of the conn rn, ana put it in the hands of the cor. bowou a.non commission, Mir. Cooper. c;s;"S ;;.ser, believes that different de. IIas,on Iit;~an. would result in the event of tbas tbsaoion ao between Pine Bluff and
 1s r, telephone company.
 a,sa ne telephone company's attorney tso tho called MT. Cooper's attention. in fao. o cuurse of the conversation. to tho aro ' mat city officials of Little Rock con, receiving from the telenhone of fny fpaa annually about $8,OOO worth timataes e service. The same official es- are reaa that Pine Bluff city officials panu eeelvlng eeg from the telephone com 8 6oo each year gratis service worth thona,p phases of the situation are citv ens to have been discussed by the v5;o. council in its session iron, were excluded. puDiic
 Shav;n - F,aE Romaanvaln g, was int introduced among the