Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-31
MUNCIE PLANS
WAR ON PHONE
RATE INCREASE
Will Oppose Proposed Boost
in Test Case Set for
Feb. 16.

MUNCTE, Ind, Jan. 31-The prelimi-
nary skirmish in the approaching rate
contests between the Indiana Bell Tele-
phone Company and the communities in
Indiana served by that company will be
outlined tonight at a meeting Of the
| NIuncie Chamber of Commerce by Fred
B. johnson, special counsel for the city
of Muncie. The petition Of the Bell
| Company for an increase of telephone
exchange rates at Muncie has been set
for hearing beginning Feb. 16 at Muncie.
Similar petitions, affecting Anderson,
| South Bend and other Indiana cities all
ready have been fled by the Bell Com
pany, and other petitions are yet to be
fled.
1t is understood the Muncie case is to
be the leading, or test case, and will be
presented as completely as possible by
the petitioner, and vigorously contested
by the city, the city attorney, Arthur D..
Mckinley, being associated with Mr..
Johnson in the defense.
SAYS CASES ARE
CAREFULLY PLANNED.
THE Bell Telephone Company builds
up and presents its cases in rate matters
more expertly and thoroughly than any
utility that comes before the public serY-
ice commission of Indiana" said Mr.
as a former commissioner.
Their experience is as broad as the
United States. Their legal, engineering
and accounting experts, upon whom they
rely, all are trained in their particular
| line of presentation and have at their
I finger tips, not only the definite knowl-
edge Of all of the special facts in the par
ticular case that is being tried, but
/ definite knowledge Of all Of the facts IN
the background-the exact relationship
between the Muncie exchange and other
exchanges in the State; the Indiana over
head costs charged to Muncie; the reIa-
ton that Muncie bears to the American
Telephone and Telegraph toll lines the
backward reaching relation between this
parent company "a. T. & T. Coz and the
Indiana Bell and the Muncie exchange
They know in a way more complete than
the respondent city can ever know. how
and upon what basis the Western Flee
trio Company, a manufacturer Of electrI-
cal supplies and another subsidiary Of
the A. 7. & 7. Co., comes into the pic
ture."
SAYS CITY LACKS
MEANS OF DEFENSE,
The speaker outlined graphically many
Of the complications incident to the de-
Tense OF the city's side Of the case in
Guiding lack Of real knowledge as to
the background of the many inter-rc
lationships and wheels within wheels all
entering as factors in the Muncie case.
Inadequate as respondents knowledge
IS, it is the intention Of the city Of Muncie
vigorously to contest this p0sition-not
by demagogery, but by a dignifed but
forceful defense" concluded johnson.
we realize this case is Of immense i'm
portance, not only to the 1000 subscrib-
ers Of the Bell at Muncie, but TO all Of
the 125,00O subscribers in Indiana. In
these days Of decreasing costs, higher
utility rates are to be scrutinized with the
closest care, and justified only when
petitioner has successfully and complete
ly all points in its burden Of proof. The
presumption is IN favor Of decreasing
rates, not increasing rates-rates in this
particular case that We're established by
the commission on presumably proper
basis two years agO-at the very peak
Of labor and material prices and COSTS