The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-01-10
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10. 1919
THE INCREASED PHONE RATES

Fearing that in ;he change of ad
ministration OF affairs in this city.
the question of the increase in the
rates for telephones may be over
looked. The Herald takes this OPP
portuni,y of bringing the matter to
the attention of the mayor and coun-
oil. An investigation into the need
and justice of the rates foisted on
the people OF this state by the Post
master General, is being made by the
State Railroad Commission, and
number of cities have already taken
steps to be properly represented at
GRAFTON may be given to their rights
in the premises. Nothing has been
done by Klamath Falls so far. aud
this very important question should
not go by default.
When the Pacific States Telephone
and Telegraph company entered this
city il was granted franchise under
specific conditions. One of these con
ditions was that il would not make
any increase in rates until it had
one thousand phones in service, and
then specified amount was to be
charged.
II is pretty generally understood
that the Bell Telephone company
knew what it was doing when it fixe1
the rate that would be charged. L
nrdoubtedly took into consideration
expectancy" ready to serve" and
all this late humbug that has been
dug up to dust the eyes of the pub
lie in the various raids that have
been made on them in the matter Of
increasing rates. 1t took into consid-
Grafton the increased material, labor
and every other contingency that
could arise. That is game at which
it is a past master. So that. when 1t
fixed rate at which it was willing
to serve the people of Klamath Falls,
that rate provided for wide mar
gin of safety"
1t seems, however that under this
twentieth century system of public
plunder, under the guise of this ''peo-
.ple shall rule" regime, there has been
inaugurated a systematic policy of
Fleeing the consumer, and 70 his pro-
tests is heard the answer: We'll.
the Railroad Commission has forced
us to do this, and you created the
commission for the sole purpose of
regulating our business. We are
helpless" Added to this line of bunk
comes the further ruling of our state
supreme court, that the law creating
the Railroad Commission supercedes
everything else, and no condition that
may have been inserted in fran
chise prior to the passage of the law
has any force or effect. That, of
course, is the law now, but 1t is a
very poor law, and it reads into the
statute something that the people of
this state never intended should be
there. II is ruling that vitally af-
fects this city in the matter of tele-
phone rates, and IL is ruling that
the people of this city If The Herald
reads public opinion correctly, will
not obey.
Klamath Falls has entered into a
straight-out contract with the Pacific
States Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany II it undertook to repudiate
that contract to the extent of order
ing its poles and wires off the streets,
1t would quickly be estopped by the
courts, and rightly SO. II the tele-
phone company undertakes to repu-
diate its part of the agreement by
raising its rates. the people OF this
city are going to stop II. They never
will pay one cent more to the tele-
phone company than is provided for
In the franchise, and any attempt to
collect II will be met with absolute
and united refusal. And III sse are
the facts that SHOULD be presented to
the Railroad Commission. II the
courts hold that the Railroad Com
mission has the power to regulate
our rates, then the Commission
should be made to understand that
we demand recognition OF our rights
on the basis of the franchise.
So far as the government is con-
cerned, II should be made to under
stand the same thing. The people OF
this county has had sufficient expert