The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-02-02
RATES
HAVE BEEN RAISED
MOSCOW TELEPHONE & TELE-
GRAPH COMPANY WINS IT'S
FIGHT FOR INCREASE

Telephone rates in Moscow are to be
advanced. The new rate dates from
February l. This information has
been brought to Moscow in a telegram
from the Public Utilities Commission,
with headquarters at Boise and pat
rons paying for telephones in Febru-
ary will be charged the new rate.
The increase is not all that was ask
ed for by the company, but it is a
compromise between the old rates and
the rates requested by the corporation.
The compromise is simply fifty
fifty cut between the old rate and
the rate demanded in many instances.
This is particularly true of the rates
for farmers lines which is advanced
from rs to SO cents month instead
of rs cents a month, the rate asked
for and the rate paid in other places.
In TACT rs cents a month is the low
est rate for rural service in any part
OF. the Palouse country, it is stated,
that being the rate at Pullman, which
was recently increased from SO to rs
cents month
The New Rates to Be Paid.
Following are the new and the old
rates. For single business telephone
the rate is 1915 ,an increase of so
per cent over the old rate of $3.50.
The company had asked for a rate of
a. For and 4-party business tele-
phones, the rate is $3.25, increase from
the old rate of $1.5O Single residence
telephones are to be charged $3.50 in
stead of the old rate of So. Two-party
residence telephones are charged
$2.25 instead of the old rate of S1.75.
Four and eight-party residence line
will pay $1.75 instead of
S1.25, the old rate. Farmers lines
pay SO cents instead of 25c. Desk tele- |!
phones are charged for at the rate of |
% cents additional for house or busi-
ness telephones. In discussing the in
crease allowed A. T. West, president
md general manager of the Moscow
Telephone & Telegraph company,
said:
President Vests Statement.
Quite naturally, we feel disappoint-
ID that the rates authorized by the
commission are lower than those we
figured were necessary and which we
lied for approval. Both business and
esidence telephones will, under this
rider, cost rs cents per month less
AAoAA IL OIAOl S1IlOo VI ILLS CLASS Ill
daho or Washington, however, since
he Utilities Commission, after thor
ugh investigation has established the
resent rates as being reasonable, just [
nd. sufficient, we like the public,
Mould, | presume, regard the judg-
1ent of the commission as superior
our own. They evidently made
cry complete study of the entire sit 7
alton and they have every facility for I
etermining fair rate
In adopting the new rates we shall q
y in every way to make them work i
ut satisfactorily. Perhaps by careful '
Management and economical handling
further general increase may be
voided.
we are now preparing plans and e
lacing orders for material and equip +
ent with which to make extensive i'm a
rovements, which work will be push Ii
! to completion as rapidly as possi- G
e. When this is done there will be o
more than four telephones upon O
~ line in town; under the present
ling by the commission there will
no further increase in the cost to !.
lbscrlbers for this improved service :
present most of the resident party -
les accommodate eight subscribers. =
lis alteration will result in marked "
lprovement of the service and is one d
at will cost the telephone company -
yeral thousand dollars" ~. ~