The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-01-11
s ATT
EDITION
Page One
Column One
Current Comment
On Varied Events
By Times Writers

rejoice that threatened in
crease in telephone rates has
been delayed, at least until
August. The telephone COM
pany volunteered to withdraw
its present application upon
which a decision was to have
been given by the state public
service commission by Jan.
10, after permission was given
to re-file a new schedule of
rates on Aug. 10. Meanwhile,
q federal communications
commission investigation of
the company's rates will be
/. held not only in this state but
in California as well, next
month.
State officials insist the
withdrawal of the application
for rate increases now fol-
lowing protracted hearings is
a victory for phone patrons.
How big it is, the future will
tell. At any rate, the specter
of higher phone rates has been
laid for at least seven months.
WHATS become of plans for
" repaving of Broadway and
st. Helens avenue? Patrons
of Broadway stores as well as
the merchants themselves are
beginning to wonder if the
fight as to the type of pave
ment desired is going to hold
up the much-needed improve
ment indefinitely. After the
satisfaction felt by Pacific
avenue property owners over
their new pavement, it rather
inks folks who use Broadway
and st. Helens ave. daily to
see important time slipping by
with no Roadway reached on
the other improvement.
If Tacoma is to attract tour
lists, if trade is to be drawn to
our stores, if the desire to
build business is to be expand
ed, then we must make our
downtown thoroughfare at
tractive, slightly, convenient
and practical. Good pavement
and good lighting are essen
tial. We trust the city dads as
well as property owners can
get together soon and plan a
real improvement for Broad
way before spring goes and
summer has come.
CITING around the CONFER
- ence table appears to have
worked wonders in the matter
of seeking more adequate
power supplies for the city.
Bonneville f e deral officials
and heads of the local city
government apparently have
not been as far apart as was
indicated earlier. The confer
ence method of approach
ironed out most of the kinks
envisaged before. Now, every
indication is that some kind
of agreement, equitable to all
concerned, will be worked out
so that sufficient power for
future needs will be made
available and a fair method
of exchange worked out. Sue
cess to the negotiations!
THE handful of Tacoma off,
l GERS charged with seeing
to it that several thousand
drivers respect the rights OF
each other and the lives OF
pedestrians work quietly and
without fanfare. If they muir
muir among themselves, it
never reaches the public ear.
Overheard, however, was a
murmur this week in which
the public should take inter-
est. II involves the driver who
PAYS no heed to the siren
when the lights stay red and
the emergency cars approach
pell-mell.
All too often. lately, drivers
have unthinkingly wheeled
into the path of police or fire
cars. sometimes swinging far
out to pass halted cars. The
margin of miss" has been
narrow. If the driver who
takes such a chance doesn't
hear GabriePs horn, he should
not feel prosecuted in the
event he hears the sound OF
$50 and costs" in court.