The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-07-12
PHONE VALUATION
MOVE IS OPENED
~ o.
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/ NNNfAN-@ANS- 80 -
have resulted in an increase Of
| $1,000, 900 to 81 200 900 annually in
the company's revenues in Indian
apolis alone.
Just what effect the rate agree
ment will have in the seventy ex-
changes outside of Indianapolis will
Shpot be known until complete com
pilation Of petitions on file with the
commission Aug. II, 1928, has been
made 1t is known that in some
instances these rates are slightly
higher than those initiated by the
company July 1.
/ Mosser Sees justification
The outcome of the Federal Court
case was Interpreted as a justifica-
ton of the attempt Of the Indiana
Chamber of Commerce to settle the
question amicab1y, by George NJ.
Mosser, managing director of the
company The attempt failed when
State and city officials refused to at,
tend the meeting.
1.-THE effect of this action was pre-
eisely what might have been accom-
nlished outside of court If both sides
had come together in a spirit of con
ciliation,r Mosser said.
Attorneys for the company MADE
determined fight in Federal Court
to retain the rate schedule put in
effect July /, but their efforts failed
| when Judge Page refused to sustain
their contention and himself sug
gested the basis of the agreement.
The order directed the telephone
| company to supply the commission
with inventories, statements and in
formation which the commission
may require directly os through any
of it's departments, examiners, au-
diteFs. engineers, nv stigators,
agents or representatives.
State Engineers On Job
This clause is considered signih-
cant in view of the announcement
that the commission will depart from
it's previous custom of accepting in
ventories made by the utility itself.
but win have its own engineering
and research department do the
work.
The order stated that later a date
for a public hearing viii be set.
This date will not be before Septem-
Der at earliest, commission members
said, owing to the large amount of
detailed work necessary before the
| hearing.
| Details of Organization for the in
vestigation and hearing were dis
| cissed ae~a long session of the com
mission. There is a marked spirit
of determination on the part of
commissioners to make the investi-
cation a thorough one. The entire
engineering and research force Of
the commission probably will be used
in obtaining data.
Presence of Taylor +. Groninger,
corporation counsel of Indianapolis,
and E. w, Bemis and Walter gemis,
utility experts of Chicago, Ill. who
assisted the city in the, water rate
case. gave rise TO the report that
the Bemtses may be employed by
the commission N the present case.
Air of Determination
There was a marked air OF cp
timism and determination among
state officials. Apparently the vic
tory before Judge Page Friday, the
first obtained by the State in al,
Federal Court utility litigation, had
put a lot of fight in the commission.
Judge Page made it clear that the
telephone company is not above the
State of Indiana" Groninger said
1.-THE right of the commission to
make rates was definitely settled"
u. S. Lesh, attorney general Of In
diana, also regarded the outcome as
marked victory. He Dismissed
the Injunction suit filed in Superior
Court before Judge Linn ID. Hay.
The case in Superior Court ask
ing that the charter of the Indiana
Bell Telephone Company be an I
nulled win be prosecuted, Lesh said.
The agreement with the company
Monday in no way affected this suit,
he declared
Costs Are Limited
Reports that the commission win
be called upon to pay costs amount
ing to $1,000 or more as a result
of Judge Pages ruling on the ques-
ton. of costs Friday, were set at
rest by Lesh. He said the commits /
sion would have to pay only regular
court costs, and not salaries of ex- |
perts. lawyers and other employees.
The commission has in the past
considered such expenditures by a
utility as a legitimate operating ex
pense.