Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-09
BRANCH EXCHANGE Ra,sE.

BRANCH fNtFhNAAE HAtCfs
Branch exchange service will be mate
rally increased IN some respects through
out the State Instead Of acharge OF s3
month for all types Of switchboards, the
new rates will range from 81. as a month To
50 50 q month for each operators posi-
ton. The company now charges s.
month for any type Of board.
There will be some increases IN auxiliary
cuuiument and service.
There are many parts ofthe new sched-
ule Cf rates filed giving details OF charges
for installations. service and payments,
both for public and private telephones,
some of which are restatements u present
regulations.
In the petition fled the company sets
forth il has never been able under the old
rates 10 pay dividends 70 the Bell Tele-
phone Co. of Pennsylvania on 81 ,00O0O0
of it's capital stock held by the Bell Also
that in November. 1919, the Diamond
State Company asked the commission for
leave TO continue rates established during
government control, and that IN February,
1920, the commission ordered the COM
pany TO continue the present rates unit
December 1920; and that the net earnlngsl
of the Diamond State Co. for SIX years
have averaged less than three per cent on
3 actual cash CoSi VI shiA1 ~-LatN eAAS
net earnings for 1920 Will be about "a per
cent on actual cash cost
The company alleges that the actual APP
praised value Of its property is 80 per cent
above the book value
Also that the low rate OF earnings 10
menace 10 the eompanys s credit and pre-
vents securing capital for extensions; that
no more than q fair return is sought, and
that the rates sought are reasonable and
non-discriminatoTy.
That is the company's case, supported
| by several statements Of revenue and ex-
penses fled with the commission.
THE BELL. HOLDINGS.
One paragraph from the petition filed
says:
! "On August 81, 1920, your petitioner
! had outstanding capital stock 10 the
| amount of two million dollars, all OF which
/ is now and for many years has been owned
/ and held bv The Bell Telephone Company
/ of PENNSYLVANIA. and for which that com
1 pany paid cash at par; that, as OF the said
/ date. your petitioner had floating inter
I est bearing indebtedness amounting to
! eight hundred twenty-five thousand dol
I lars which represented cash which had
I been advanced TO il from time 20 time by
the said The Bell Telephone Company Of
Pennsylvania. and that on said date the
book cost of the property OF your petition
er used in rendering service amounted TO
81, ,998, 600"
PETITIN FROM TRACTION co.
The following petition, received by the
board from the Traction Co, was referred
toCity Solicitor Huxley:
September 7, 1920.
To the BOARD Of Public Utility G ommis-
sioners Of the city of Wi lmington,"
The Mayors Office,
Wilmington, Delaware,
Gentlemen: On account OF our inability
20 obtain funds for construction purposes,
we are unable, temporarily, to take on any
additional electric light and power busi-
| ness. or to increase facilities to existing
| customers unless the cost Of the necessary
! labor and material is financed by the con-
sumer.
We are, therefore, putting into effect
the following plan in order that customers
who desire service may obtain same. In
addition to contributing outright the cost
of service extension over and above sll .5o
per service, this being the regulation IN
| force for some time and of which your
| honorable body was duly advised, con
sumner viii be asked to loan sufficient funds
TO provide necessary meters, transformers,
| etc. and their installation. The amount SO
loaned will be considered as advance pay
| ment for electric service and viii be repaid
together with interest on same to the con-
sumer by deductlng suitable monthly IN