The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-02-08
COMPLA|NANTS IN
PHONE RATE ATTACK
CLOSE THEIR CASE
II. w. Hubenthals Cross
Examination Begun
by Defense
tspcclaI 10 The HcraIdl

- ~ -
SANTA FE. Ftb. S-H " Huhen-
thai Oklahoma city rate expert chief
and only witness foI complalnaufs
against increased phone rates. fin
ished his direct testimony shortly be-
fore noon today after having been on
the stand nearly siN hours.
The case FOR the compininants wins
then finished Hubeuthnls cross
. ANIMATION. begun this afternoon
probably will not be- finished before
tomorrow and then q II likely the
Mountain States Tei,phone represcn-
tntlves viii ask Tor u continuance 40
enable them 10 look into his testi-
mony ~ 10 conditions and rates IN
other states.
Hnbenthal Questioned.
u W H%ubenthai. the Oklahoma
city expert. chief witness for the
complainants against the telephone
rate increases. was on the stand
three hours Tuesday afternoon and
City Attorney W a. Keleher. Of Al
huquerquc. who conducted the exam
nation questioned him about the
rates allowed by other stated and
the ~ per cent OF gross r%rvenu
paid the American Telephone and
Telegraph company 10y the Mountain
states Telephone and Telegraph com
PAM
Asked by Keleher II Oklahoma al
lowed Chr Southwestern He'll Tslr-
phone cumnunN more than : per cent
return a- one OF the company wit
nesse- previously testified the wit
ness replied. 40. SIR" lie aid OR
lahoma had allowed It per cent re-
turn and depreciation IN one case.
but temporarily. ON condition thai
the company put In some improve
ments.
Milton smith general counsel and
vice president. objected when kcle-
her asked Hubeuthai for the aver
age rate fur Oklahoma Tor the last
three years. Ho wanted To- know
the purpose of the question. The
Albuquerque city attorney stated 81
was to 'dlscrcdtt' The testimony ~
one OF his witnesses.
Huhrnthul aaid the average rate
In that state Tor the last two years
was l2.76 Tor return ana deprccia -
tion. IL he vent back another year.
be- said, the average probably would
be- found tu Doe lower
The expert then cited recent de-
CIsions in kansas Indiana and Min
nesota which nNed the return at from
s3 to- : per cent n depreciation
az from a. To 3 per cemt.
Parent Cummny's Rake-un.
The Mountain states T%clephou,
mud Telegraph company. h wit.
ness suid. paid the American Tele.
phonc and Telegraph company np.
pruNlmately AZ per cent Of lis gross
revenues Tor financial ana legal adj.
vice and other service which includ
"d the benefits OF enginccrins re-
search u certain patents"
il" said Oklahoma and many othel
stutcr ~diSapproysd the practices %
pHsiur az per cent to the ptren
company.
A~Ecd r ho thought the relation
shin between the Mountain State
Telephone and Telegraph compan,
and the patent concern was bust
ness-like" or scientific ne repiie'
he didn't believe 10 was. and Sr.stl
Objected but b corporation com
mission overrulod him smith didn'
take kindly tn that kind Of eyi
fence"
uubenihal also assaulted 90. testl
mony Of A. $ Peters. valuation en-
gineer on he Increase of costs o
supplies used los the company. Peter
said there he'd been reductions onl.
In isolated cases. hat Huhenthal sal,
he had mude up some price llst
which Indicated 20 hin that costs ha,
dropped down 60 tht istH leyei
IL was brought out While Huben
thai was on the stand that the South
western Bell, which operates in ok
lahoma, segregated it, Investment Il
she state by plants. company on
cials previously testified this was no
done In New Mexico They said the,
couldn't tell whether the AIbuquer
que plant was paying or losinl
money.