The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-28
INDIANAPOLIS TO
PAY S133,69S.48
!, MORE FOR PHONES
Bell Company President An
nounceS New Schedule
Effective July /.

GliOOlifO jul
indianapolis patrons of the Indi-
ana Bell Telephone Company will
pan an increase of S133, 69S.4S under
new rates effective July 1, according
to announcement today by c. H.
Rottger, president of the Company.
The raise throughout the State will
amount to 1885, 900, Rottger said.
This increase comes mainly from
the two and four-party lines in In
dianapolis and from the change from
fiat to measured service in the bust
ness lines.
According to Rottger there are q
ST. business phones getting meas
ured service and under the new rate
an additional 5,113 stations will be
switched to the measured rate. The
new rate is an initial cost Of $3.50
a month for ninety messages. The
next sixty calls will cost cents
each, the next fifty will cost 4 cents
and all above 200 calls 81 cents
each.
Party Lines Rates Go Up
In residence lines the individual
lines remain the same at $3.50 per
month, while two-party is raised
from $3.50 to 1915 and four-party
from s2.75 to So, with 81 for extern
lions.
This increase on the two and four
barty lines will be in the neighbor-
hood Of $4,000, Roettger said.
In the PIX exchanges the initial
cost is raised from Sc to S12.
Roettger declared that the raise
throughout the State would aver
age approximately % cents a month
on residence phones and so cents on
business phones.
In announcing the new rates
Rottger declared he still had a lee
way of 100000 from the amount
granted through the public service
commission ard the Federal Court
order OF Judge Page. The original
petition of the company to the COM
mission asked for an increase of
$4,000 900 and the commission grant
ed a $1,000, 600 increase. In their
final decree to the Federal Court the
company agreed not to charge more
than $500 900 more than their orig
inal petition to the commission. The
present rates will bring their in
crease to approximately s1.962, 900
and still leave a little over s600,0
for any contemplated rate increases.
Public Pays for Contest
Rottger declared the contest in
rates before the commission and
court had cost the company approx
lmately $4,000, and thar the con-
sumner would have TO pay this
amount The new rates will mean a
net increase of As per cent on the
valuation of s32. 900. 900.
n Rottger also said additional taxes
- S249, 900 assessed against the COM
pany for 1925, as over 1928, would
have to he collected this year from
consumers. The new rates will give
the company total revenue of S.
100000 for the State.
Rottger said that barring any I'M
expected increase in operating ex-
pense the new rates would be fairly
permanent.
Glass D schedule, in which there
are t-eive exchanges of Blooming
ton Hunting. New Albany. Bedford
Elwood, Frankfort. Washington
Jeffersonville, Newcastle. Shelbyville
Peru and Vincennes, will pay an in
crease of $7S,187 fror4 35,473 patrons
an average raise Of pproximately S:
per year.
Class E cities of Kokomo, Marion
and Anderson. with 1892 stations
pay an increase of S4o.419
Muncie is the only city in Class F
and will pay no increase except on
rural phones. This will total s4.791
from 7,744 stations. A small raise is
made in one PIX exchange.
Evansville is in class G and will
pay S57,574 increase from 1926
stations, an average of more than SO
a year increase.
How Firm Is Affected
South Bend and MishaWaka with
1912 stations are given little or
no increase except in rural lines.
In explaining how Indianapolis
business lines lost the company
money Rottger said that unlimited
service business lines which paid a
t rate Of s12 yearly used up their
Wervice at nine calls daily. Afte;
nine calls the company lost money
he said. As an instance he cited one
business concern which had 1872 calls
a day. He figured this firm would
pay, under the new rate, approx
mately S177.62 a month
Rottger figures the measure serv
ice rates will cut business traffic in
Indianapolis approximately IS pei
cent