Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-03
TELEPHONE RATES NOT
THOUGHT EXCESSIVE
Public Utility Commissioners
Fail to Act on Pyle Co.'S
Complaint.

At the regular meeting OF the board
NJ Public Utility Commissioners last
night. the matter OF telephone rates
wa. discussed when letter from tne
Diamond state Telephone Company
was presented. The Victor X. rye
Co. recently alleged that I'm view OF
the fact that costs and expenses are
receding generally" telephone tolls are
too high.
Pointing out that no specific basis
of complaint is given. such M Is caiieo
for by tho rules OF the commission,
and that II becomes, therefore. merely
an expression OF opinion, E. +. Bardo,
district manager OF the company,
wrote the board as follows:
while Il is true that tho costs OF
material have receded generally
from wartime figures. such costs
have not receded 30 far M wc esu-
mated they would when witnesses
testified before your Board on NO
vember 10, 1920. In support OF our
application for approval. OF the rates
now In effect In wilminston; 80 that
Il must be a fact that when your
Honorable Board entered it's order or
Juno Z, 1921. approving the
present rates of this Company. It did
so with the belief that the costs or
prices Of material would recede even
farther than they have done"
"As your Board Is aware. costs OF
material constitute n small and rel
atively unimportant part OF the
operating expenses of this Company
as we'll as OF all other telephone
companies. The overwhelming part
OF telephone operating expenses con
sists of wages paid to employees
Since the date OF your order of jan
uary {. 1921. this Company has not
reduced the wages of its employees
so that our operating expenses are
substantially as high as they Were
at the date the present schedule OF
rates was placed In effect.
! I'VE have effected and are nov
practising every means of econom,
which we have deemed feasible
Anything further In that direction
we believe would 1eopardize the hisf
grade OF telephone service which thu
people of Wilmington demand ant
TO. which we believe their needs
Justly entitle them.
The schedule OF rates now In
effect i'm Wilmington does not pro
duce more than n reasonable return
to this Company on the fair valu'
OF its property employed I'm th'
public service in Wilmington, an'
, the rates for the various clssses q
Il ~ l,,fA ron m ~
, able. just and non discriminatory
and no higher than the value OF tn
service in the respective classes !
reasonably worth"
: The communication was ordere
acknowledged and filed.
!, In informal discussion Of the sub
= 3cct the consensus Of opinion wa
4 favorable TO the service being render
c ed by the company and >the rate
- charged, any interference with whic
would necessarily cause a reductio
OF wages
The president was requested TO pre-
sent 10 the finance committee OF Coun
Gil request that the same allowanc
for attendance on meetings as is re
ceived by members. namely, s. pc
meeting, be granted the secretary. fror
l the budget. appropriation Of $1,000.
The duty OF secretary devolves o
the mayors secretary. The salary c
this official was raised from 81 900 (
/. 81 400 some months ago. and Il wa
understood that the additional dut
was taken into consideration at ths
time.
The Wilmington Gas Company RI
ported net earnings for the month {
j. April of s2,649.5o; the total revenu
d being sS6.191.52: expenses. $s4. .1s6. rs
: interest. SIS, 9,355.o3.
e The Traction Company reported
J. deficit OF ss.o94.77 from operation ,
railways for April which is Offset /
\ a surplus from other operations
: S25. .1S4.07. making total surplus Il
&c the month Sl9,039.30.