The Washington times., 1925-05-13
The Slash in Telephone Rates
and an Independent P. u.
Commission
Commission
By BILL PRICE.

The slash in telephone rates will save the people of the
District about $4,000 year. mere pin money to the Ches
peake Potomac Telephone Company which spent close to
100000 in trying to build its valuations so that
slash would take place.
local telephone octopus has to fight about in the
not An appeal to the courts against the
small rate cut will the company than 100000 in
lawyers and other costs feel that it should
higher valuation of its properties than
granted by Public Utilities Commission but it stands
to gain comparatively little by that nasmuch the valua
tion of fixed by the commission to be fair
reasonable possibly too high This valuation includes
remembered reproduction costs of the property
present day inflated prices By the time the company got
through fighting for higher valuation in the courts
of the present initiation may have been lost and would
then possible for the Public Utilities Commission
revauation reproduction costs a cheaper basis.
ALI in ALL the telephone company hasn't been hurt much
at ALL and the hopeful thing about the slash of %
month telephone rates each subscriber that
may be indication of reduction in utilities rates and
charges in the future
Even with the "slashed in effect the telephone
company will at least per cent the 100000 vaua
ton That's for any public private con-
can get all the money you want on District real
estate the best security the face of the earth for so
per cent The telephone companys bonds sell in the local
market a per cent basis.
The telephone monopoly quite literally
by the Public Utilities Commission which has yet
accused of being harsh local utilities all of which are
nourhing the that their stocks bonds are
mounting higher and higher in prices and in demand
by investors
the average who rides a street car uses gas
telephone and electricity doing half well the
factory basis there would be something for the public to
rejoice about
Salaries not going in this salary The
living is still going up Prosperity for public utilities de-
sable but not rampant prosperity wholly at the
OF the heavily burdened public.
There good in the definite Congress
man FRED ZIHLMAN who will be chairman of the House
District Committee in the Congress- that he will person
ally introduce bill upon the assembling of Congress pro-
vding for Public Utilities Commission independent of the
District Commissioners and having attorney good
mission.
This newspaper knows nothing of greater Importance to
the people Of this city than such legislation which has
steadily advocated
Mr. zhlman is perfectly right in saying that the District
are too heavily burdened with other municipal
problems to undertake the duties connected with Utilities
Commission They simply not give the time to utilities
questions that is urgently called for They do the best
they but humanity impossible for them to put into
the Public Utilities Commission the time that commissioners
that work should give they to keep fully informed as
the history of these their and their
vice to the public
Washington too big city for three to undertake
to manage its strictly municipal affairs and its utilities
problems too.
Nothing but cold disregard of the vital interests of
public in utilities questions will prevent Congress serving
the public better in these matters than has in the past An
Independent Utilities Commission is Indispensable So is a.
first class attorney to the public Next the
preparation for the Utilities Commission of sufficient funds
to enable to properly and thoroughly investigate public
utilities reports and claims.