The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-25
MED|C0S PROTEST
 TELEPHONE RATES
Action of City in Asking for Re- hearing lndorsed by the
 Medical Society

Resolutions protesting against the in- crease of telephone rates and approving the action of the city commission in ask ing rehearing before the public service commission were adopted last night by the Jefferson County Medical society at it's regular meeting held at the Southern club.
 The medical society has over $50 mem bers. large majority being present at the meeting last night. Dr. Wyatt pre- scented the following resolutions on the telephone rate question, which were adopted unanimously:
 Wheras, to wit, on January 13, 1921. the Alabama public service commits sion granted the Southern Bell Tele- phone and Telegraph company mn n- crease in it's rates in Alabama, which said increase added approximately s45O,00O to the cost of telephone serv- ice to users of Alabama and.
 Whereas. in it's order granting said sion stated that it did not have sui ficient evidence before it with which to fix valuation of the company'5 properties devoted to the public serv- ice in Alabama; and,
 Whereas, the said commission stated that it granted said increase in rates because it was of the opinion that ln emergency existed requiring the granting of said increase; and.
 Whereas the telephone users n Birmingham have, prior to the grant, ing of said increase, been paying as much for telephone service as tele- phone users in towns and cities of similar population in other parts or the country; and,
 Whereas, we are of opinion that some of the burdens growing out of the war and the abnormal conditions following the war should be borne oy the public service corporations, and not all passed on to the consumers and,
 Whereas, we are informed that the city commission of the city of Br- mingham proposes to file petition for a relocating in regard to the said increase in rates,
 Therefore, be 1t resolved, that the Jefferson County Medical society ap- proves of the action of the city com mission III OppOSluS dH iii~i Sooc 'A> telephone rates and in asking for rehearing of the cause; and.
 Be it further resolved, that this body is of the opinion that the pu1- lie service commission was in error 'n granting to the teelphone company an increase in it's rates of approximately B 1-3 per cent in the city of Birming- ham. We are further of the opinion that if any increase was to be grant ed the telephone company, based upon an emergency, 1t should have been ! temporary increase-that is to say the date upon which said increase was to expire should have been fixed in said order of said commission. unless at said named date the tele- . phone company could show that sa'd emergency still existed. and further. that this body is of the opinion that N said cause should be reopened ana reconsidered and that upon said re- consideration the public service com mission of this state make an order that will require the public utilities to bear some of the burdens of this period of reconstruction, and not pass if all on to the people.
 Be it further resolved. that copies of this resolution be mailed to the public servlce commission. to the city commission of Birmingham and to the public press