The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-12-05
TEL. RATE HEARING
HELD TUES, DEC. 3
Company Introduces Mass of
Figures to Show Proposed
Raise is Justified
BUILDING COSTS $40, 900
If Petition Is Granted Work
Will Start Very Soon After
January First

phone Company to increase the
rates to Sank Centre subscribers
after the system had been changed
from magnetic to common battery
system was held at the Sank Cen
ire Community Club rooms Tues
day, starting at 1000 a. m.
w. L. VanCamp, of st. Paul, tel
ephone expert, represented The
Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse
Commission at the hearing and had
charge of the proceedings.
Ed. A. Pendergast, Of Minneapo-
lis, general solicitor, for the North
western Bell Telephone Co.; H. A.
Livermore, of Omaha, Neb., statis-
tician; c. L. Swancutt, valuation
engineer for the company, also of
Omaha; P. P. Mason, Minneapolis
company manager for the State OF
Minnesota; J. j. Smith, st. Paul,
official reporter for the Railroad
and Warehouse commission, were
the gentlemen taking an active part
in the hearing.
Mr.. Livermore was the first wit
ness sworn. He produced a mass
of detailed figures showing actual
results at the Sank Centre Ex-
change for a period from Oct. i,
1928 to Sept. 1929, inclusive, to-
gether with normal results estimat-
ed after the plant has been con-
verted to a common battery sys-
tenn under the proposed rates.
Mr.. Livermore went into great
detail the summing up of which was
that the earnings of the local ex-
change for the period mentioned
above was $294.95, return of IL
per cent on the investment.
The petition of the company to
the Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission contemplates the erection
of building corner of Fourth and
Oak Streets (the Roy Working
corneD and the installation of an
entirely new system including
common battery phones for the
subscribers. The figures showed
that the investment in Sank Centre
would be $73,973.24. This sum
would not all be charged against
the local exchange quite portion
being chargeable to the toll bust
ness.
According to the figures submit
ted by Mr.. Livermore the net earn
ings to the company under the pro-
posed rates would pay approximate
ly 6k per cent.
The proposed rate will be SUBJ
ject to a discount of % cents per
month on each phone if the bill is
paid within a specified time each
month.
The petition also asks for an
increased connecting charge with
rural lines of so cents per month
instead of 35 cents, the present
charge.
The new building proposed will
be of fireproof construction, pro-
viding rest rooms and other mod
ern conveniences for the employ
ees, and will cost $2O,4O
If the petition is granted the new
rate will be operative after the
new building is erected, the new
equipment is in place and the
phones installed in the homes and
places of business.
Sept. 81, 1879 there were 5Z4
phones connected with the local ex-
change and 32z with the rural
lines, total Of 846. These do not
include telephones a. the Home
School which are operated from a
private switchboard.
G. A. Swancutt, valuation engi-
neer, gave a detailed report of the
companys valuation of the plant
as it existed at the present time
and the estimated cost of chang
ing the exchange from a magnetic
to common battery system.
j. p. Mason, the Minnesota
manager, stated that it was the pur-
pose Of the company to give its
subscribers the best possible SER
vice and that in his judgment
Sank Centre had reached a period
in its development when the install
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