Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-01

uses y ttICFAOuc fAly lup4Ct@lSi9 di9V
may>Gse limited service
In discussing measured service the COM
mission says it believes its establishment
is a step in the right direction. 1t points
out that il is obviously unfair to require
the subscriber who has only two calls q
day to help pay the cost Of handling the
fifty calls Of his neighhor.
SHOWS HOW PUBLIC
UTILITY Is DIFFERENT.
A public utility the commission holds,
should be allowed q fair return on its in
vestment. It points out that the utility
business is different from others in that
it is regulated and in that it cannot cut
expenses when times are hard.
Petitioner in this case is IN the bust
ness of selling telephone service" the or
der continues. 1t can not fix the price
Of the thing it sells al a figure THAI will
yield to it the cost If production and q
fair profit, and it can not indefinitely con-
tinue to operate a a loss. Neither can
1T cease to operate, nor in any wise cur
tail its business. Consequently, it must
appear before the body created by law
to ask for relief The petitioner in this
case is entitled to an increase in rates.
The evidence is perfectly plain. There
is no mystery about any phase Of the
business Every important fact has been
established, not only by petitioners eVi-
dance but also by the Independent in
vestigaJion of he agents IF the State. Pc
titiouer in this case is entitled to suffi-
Gent revenue to meet its operating e1-
pense and pay at least Z per cent return
on the value of its properly.
Nevertheless. the commission viii not
authorize the schedule Of rates proposed
by petitioner, The rates hereinafter au-
the first ten months Of 1921 viii yield
to petitioner not to exceed % per cent.
The schedule authorized viii result in
an increase Of revenue Of $4,000"
The commission cites the following rea-
sons why { per cent return is not now
given in the order.
L The company is suffering the conse-
quences Of unwise management.
2 The traffic will not bear the increase
asked
8. considerable loss OF subscribers
.,would adversely affect service and ham
per the development of the city.
Z. The company's revenue win be m
creased through normal development
). The commission is of the opinion the
work of unifcation has increased oper-
ating expenses
HANGOVER COST
Is 81 SREGIED.
6. There is evidence some deferred
maintenance may have been included in
the maintenance account for the first ten
months Of 1922.
I, The commissions audit indicates
economies may be practiced in the COM.
panys business.
s. The revenue to be derived from
measured service is uncertain
n Il
are not believed to be just and reason
able.
In discussing the relationship Of the
Indiana Bell Telephone Company and
the American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, the commission says it is Ger
tain in recent years the parent company
has not received any dividends Som the
stock owned in the Indiana company.
There is no mystery about the Bell
system" the commission says nor about
the American Telephone and Telegraph
s. Company, nor about the Western Flee
trio nor about the Indiana Bell, nor
about the relationship Of one of the cor
pOrations to the other, nor about the
contracts and business between the cor
pOrations. All these things are Of rec
ord in this case as they have repeatedly
been investigated and disclosed. and ev-
cry possible phase has been minutely eX-
amined."
Indiana. the commission says, does
not make a profit for the American com
pany, and, with one other State, is be-
ing carried by the Bell system as a
whole 1t contends this is not the fault
Of the commission, the public or the
company. but Of circumstances.
CHIEF RATES
ARE REVEALED.
II addition to the increases for resi-
dence and business telephones, the fol
lowing are some Of the more important
new rates put into effect, in each case
the increase being approximately proper
tionate to the increases already set out
Business Coin Collector.
Individual line guarantee five mes