The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-04-07
GOVERNOR SIGNS
TEL E,pEHONE BILL
MEASURE BECAME LAW MON.
DAY MORNING
Charges Revert to January l, 1871
May Appeal to Courts. State
ment by Cooper
The State, 4.

ing signed tue IoSIeA eeiSp1A04tS
restoring rates ana charges on all tel
ephcnes in the state, except compa-
MES owned in one or two counties, TO
heir status as of January l, l9Zl'
The chief executive had announced
a hearing on the act, passed by the
recent session of the legislature, but
Saturday called off this hearing IN
view of the fact that he had already
reached a conclusion.
The act that became law IS one OF
the most important pieces OF legls-
lation put through by the legislature
at the 1922 session. 1t makes null
and void increases in telephone rates
allowed by the railroad commission
and puts these rates, charges, tolls,
etc. back to the same status they
were before the railroad commission
allowed the increase in March OF
1921. The act also reestablises the
telephone exchange radius or alleged
"free toll" service that was apoIlshe0
by the general assembly.
1t was indicated yesterday that at
torneys for the Southern Bell Tele-
phone company will go Immediately
into the courts to determine the valid
itv of the act, the company having
fouoht the measure throughout its
course in the legislature. Provision
is carried in the act for the telephone
company to petition the railroad COM
mission for relief and the commission
has authority to reduce or increase
the rates to be charged and the rates
in effect January /, 1921. The COM
pany may go before the commission
but an appeal to the courts IS also
being contemplated.
Statement by Governor
In signing the act, the governor
gave out the following statement IN
regard to the act and the calling Oft
of the hearing:
"In view of the fact that l had, on
request, promised a hearing before
signing this act, 1 think it is due the
public and all parties interested that
give nv reasons for dispensing with
the hearing.
.The act is regular on its face. 1t
is very clear to my mind that should
hearing be had it would consume
more time than l could possibly give
to it. But if 1 had the time or IN
clination to give an extended hear
ing. the most that the opponents OF
the measure could show would be
that the rates fixed in the act are
confscatory. The act itself provides
2 remedy in case the rates are unrea-
sonable, and I could not veto it IN the
face of such a provision.
sIn addition to this, 1 would be
very reluctant to veto any measure
of statewide interest when the legs
lature would have no opportunity OF
passing on the veto until January OF
next wear. I think that any person
interested in any matter pending be-
fore any department of the state gov
ernment is always entitled to hear
ING. but where it is so clear, as 1t IS
in this case, that 1 could not have suf-
ficient time to give hearing, and
where there is ample opportunity TOR
the same questions to be submitted to
another department of the state gov
ernment, it seems to me that the
hearing is not denied by my acting
as l have, hut that it is simply trans
ferred to an appropriate tribunal"
Provisions of the Foster act are as
follows:
Provisions OF Act
"Section l. Be it enacted by the
general assembly of the state OF
South Carolina, That no corporation,
company, firm, person or persons
owning, controlling or operating or
that hereafter may own, control or
operate line or lines of telephone
or telegraph whose line or lines is or
are in whole or in part in this state,
shall charge or collect or suffer to be
charged or collected for their sev-
ices a greater price or sum of money
or a greater rate than was Of legal
force and effect and on file with the
railroad commission of South Caro-
lima on January /, 1921: Provided,
that any corporation, company, firm,
person or persons violating or at
tempting to violate the provisions Of