Arizona republican., 1919-09-10
PHONE CO' $ ASK
 WAR TIME RATES
 BE JUN T|NUED
Appear Before Corporation Commission In Effort To Show Why the Former Rates Should Not Be Re stored.

That the increase in the telephone rates ordered some months ago by the postmaster general after the telephone and telegraph companies had been taken over by the government during the war should be continued, is the con- tention of the Mountain States Tele- phone 6 Telegraph company and other companies of the state, at hearing before the state corporation commits sion which was started yesterday.
 The increased rates and other con- sessions are needed. the telephone com pany insists. in the enlargement of the equipment to care for increased busi- ness and to adequately serve the people.
 The hearing was begun in response to an order made by the corporation commisson to the telephone companies of Arizona to appear before the com mission and show cause why the in- creased rates should not be withdrawn and the business be conducted at the former rates before the government took over the companies.
 Many Officials Here
 Appearing yesterday before the cor poration commission were Milton Smith, of Denver general counsel for the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph company; H. D. McVey, of Phoenx, district manager of the Noun tain States; H. Fl. Fennemore of Chal- mers, Stahl. Fennemore and Longan; Fred Reid, of Denver, district manager of the Mountain States; c. E. Strat- ton of Fl Paso, divisional general man ager of the Mountain States; Dean s. Clark of Fl Paso, divisional commer- eial superintendent of the Mountain States; Edward Thornton of Tucson, representing the Arizona Southern Telephone company; M. E. Webster of Ray, representing the Ray Electro and Telephone company; James Gamewell, of Fl Paso divisional engineer for the Mountain States, and Fred H. Ensign, N. D. Sanders and Vie Hanny, repre- senting the Phoenix chamber of com merce. The hearing was held in the senate chamber at the state house and will be continued today.
 Rates Wanted Maintained
 Rates affected by the order of the postmaster general increasing them and which the telephone companies are endeavoring to convince the corpora ton commission should be continued, are as follows:
 Toll rates-Service reclassified and report charge instituted.
 Exchange rates-Rates raised in the following towns and cities of Arizona: Bisbee, Douglas, Glendale, Globe. Jerome. Nogales, Phoenix, Tucson. Yuma
 Inauguration of service connection charges and a moving charge. Ths connection charge originally was set by the postmaster general at $15, s10 and s and later reduced to S3.50 This high charge was made, it was stated for the purpose of conserving material for use of the government in the war.
 Evidence introduced yesterday by Mountain States company at the hear ing consisted of a series of reports showing the revenues and expenses of the company since 1912 and an out line of the corporate history and to some extent the probable revenue re- auirements for the future.
 Twenty Companies in State
 The corporation commission, Messrs. Belts and Johnson sitting, accepted these reports subject to review, and after time has been taken for an andy sis Of them the commission will make the necessary oss-examination.
 There are about 20 telephone compa nies in Arizona, many of these with but few mles of fine. The principal independent companies are the Navajo Apache Telephone company, operating in Navajo and Apache counties. the Arizona, California and Nevada com