Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-06-28
Phone Rate
Hearing Is
Concluded
Rail Commission Takes North.
western Bell Company's
Request for Surcharge and
Raises Under Amusement.
Many Protest Increase

Lincoln, June N.-(Special Iele-
granny - Representatives of hard
pressed public and officers of the
Northwestern Bell Telephone COM
pany exchanged blows until late
hour tonight before the state railway
commission in the application OF the
telephone company for continuation
of its 10 per cent surcharge and a
big increase in its person-to-person
calls. The commission took the ap-
plication under advisement.
]. A. Kuhn, representative of the
Omaha Grain Exchange, declared
that body was struggling to keep its
eiead above water these days and
that the persons-to-person calls, es-
sential to its business would run into
thousands of dollars in extra ex-
penses.
"And ultimately we must tax this
increase to the farmers" Kuhn said.
"But look what you grain fellows
made during the war; you increased
prices FIVE and six, times more than
we could" Guy H. Pratt. vice presi-
dent 70 the telephone company said.
Shows Price Decrease.
r. ]. Coates, Grand Island whole
sale fruit dealer, read figures show
ing that food which can be purchased
for $l.50 today cost $2.S7. May 20,
1920; clothes costing $l.90 today
cost $3.47 in 1920. Totalling a Sc
ries of figures, he declared that nee
essities of life costing $l.62 today
cost $272 May 20, 1920.
"The farmer, the merchant and the
wholesaler are all feeling these re-
ductions and why should a public
utilities jump in and want an in
crease?" Coates asked.
Replying to statement by Vice
President Pratt that wages of line
men and others had not been re-
duced. Coates asked:
"Why not? The railroad mems
wages and those OF many other men
are being reduced and in Grand
Island business men are reducing
wages from 20 to 10 per cent. /
must accept reduction in wages
July l."
Admits Some Lower.
Pratt admitted that prices of some
materials were lower, although de-
nying that the price of telephone
poles had decreased. Instead, he de-
clared, his company was paying 20
nsE cent more for poles than it did
aYou don | want to lower the
wages OF the telephone girls, who al
ways have been underpaid, do you"
The attorney for the company asked.
"No, sir, ! don't" Coates replied,
"and that's what you fellows are
harping on now-the poor telephone
girls. They get little enough as it is.
But we have men in our employ who
must exercise the same intelligence
that some of your $l60 month men
do, who are getting only SIS a
month in Grand Island"
Questions Asked.
F. M. Deweese, representing the
Farm bureau and rural subscribers.
asked Pratt these questions:
why can the farmers in Hamil-
ton county operate company sys-
tenn and charge 81 month while you
charge $i.o7 a month";"
why can Dodge county farmers
operate line at $l.25 a month
against your $l97 a month";"
"Why does the Lincoln telephone
and telegraph charge $l.o0 month
for their farm phones and you
charge $l.o7 a month";"
why did the Lincoln company,
which operates in one town in Ham
ilton county. reduce its price from
$l.60 a month in that county to 81
a month";"
i'rStt declared that the farm lines
would not pay dividends if it con-
si,!crcd as many items Of expense as
his company did and declared they
G;dn't furnish the service bis COM
pauy cid.
The reasons his company ,harged
mere ior rural service than the Lin
ccln company was because telephone
girls cost more in the North Platte
than the South Platte :ouriry, Pratt