Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1920-10-21
TAXES

TAXES
This expense, both Federal State Corn4g hi
SIy, mas increased every year we have been
business; the increase this year being unnsnsIis
nigh. There is no probability Of this evnss..
being reduced ss
We do not pay any excess profit tav hs..,..
we nave never earned enough to be subject u
that tax.
BUILDINGS
IL is common knowledge that the cost 81 s~sss
ing any kind of building now, as well 81 r.sl.-e
alterations and repairs, which Constant e,r
front the Telephone Company, and which 81
volve material, labor, freight and hauIing 4 a
an enormously higher plane than ever before Is
soiaE g tne cost OF materials may he reduced
VIII this total cost be reduced.
The only way we can furnish ADEQUATE faeil
ties Tor your use from year to year is s. Con-
structing the buildings in which to house ne cen
Tai oLIIce apparatus in the larger ccnters; As
well as enlargIng existing buildings to s.rva f.
increased needs, and this work must s. eaYrisl
on from year to year without delay. This n.
voNes hundreds Of thousands Of dollars II ez
pense to the Company.
There are, of course, MANY other items S.
5eAse' an OF which are now at the highest level
, IN prices, and none Of which show any signs q
reduction for fundamental reasons
Until these necessary costs Of operation 81
materially reduced, we cannot reduce me e0STs
OF furnishing telephone service.
We have carefully studied and anaIyzed The
advertised reduction in prices and find that they
are upon articles of which we make But ltsls.
II any, use. Applied to the telephone business
all known reductions in prices would not reduce
the cost Of furnishing telephone service one
twentieth of one per cent.
This is many times offset by the increase IA
wages which, IN many places, we must make dur
ing the current year.
Our present operating revenues are practically
equalled by our operating expenses. If the pFes
ent let down in general business continues fol
any appreciate time, we viii lose material
part OF the gross revenue now received, which
will make still higher rate necessary Il de-
flclt is avoided.
We are not asking higher rates for the SANE
SERVICE we furnished one, two or five years
ago.; but for a much GREATER SERVICE
which we now furnish, consisting of facilities 70
add many additional telephones to our system
during the past one, two and five years
This fact should be considered when compaF
ing the increase in rates we ask with the z.
crease IN the charges of railroad, express eng
other public utilities for the same quality q
service
We hope, as everyone does, that in the rela-
tiveIy near future prices and the costs OF opera
ton, accept labor, will be lower, but We see 70
immediate prospects of this result as far as the
Telephone Company is concerned.
The increased rates we are now asking a
based, IN a measure, upon this hope. ths
present level of costs of operation 60 hgnsi
through causes beyond our control the proposed
rates will not yie-d fair profit.
1t is important to remember that no rate fol
public utility is permanent. If conditions ~
prices so changed in the future as to make q
rates we are now asking yield too high return
and if the Telephone Compay should not Eeeles
the rates voluntarily, the Public Service eea
mission would.
Conditions as they are must be met, nee
they may or should be.
The highest and best interest Of the pubic
conserved in having the Telephone compang \
position to supply facilities adequate 2 .hs ~
mand for telephones and service, ana Y
way be prepared to render at all times e
quate service. No community can expahu -
grow without adequate telephone service, nil
IN turn means adequate plant facilities.
With inadequate returns upon the bare eos, ~
the physical property already in serves
Company's credit has disappeared.
With no credit the Company cannot secure
millions of dollars required to provide sns
tons and extensions Of its plant, which msss
provided if the public demand for telepnol
supplied.
Respectfully yours, ..a.,t