Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1948-08-06
Telephone CO,
ASKS RAISE IN
LOCAL RATES
Increases Will Range From 25
Cents to $1.75 Under New
Requested Schedule

~ Telephone rates in Port Clin-
ton are to be increased from 25
cents to $1.75 per month if the
Ohio Public Utilities Commission
approves the request filed Tues
day by the Northern Ohio Tele-
phone company.
William C. Henry, president of
the company, issued the follow
ing statements, in a letter to Will
liam l.. Zeis, clerk of the Port
tClinton village council:
"This company has made a for
NAL request to the Public Utilities
Commission for a determination
of the value of it's property, an
investigation of it's revenues and
expenses, and the fixing of local
exchange telephone rates to pro-
vide an adequate net earning.
with the new wage rates paid
its employees as of July 3, this
year, operating expenses of the
Company have since 1910 increas-
ed 1873 percent, or more than
doubled. During this same period,
our revenues have increased less
than 80 percent. To maintain our
financial stability, an adjustment
in present local exchange rates
can be no longer deferred.
"The Telephone company, as is
required by law, submitted with
cits application to the commission,
~an inventory and appraisal and
valuation of it's telephone proper
ty, which is used in the service of
the public of all exchanges.
"This appraisal shows present
deprecated value of property of
this company as of January /,
194S, amounting to $11,397, 900.
A statement of the income and ex-
penses Of the company for 1947
and for the first six months of
Sl94S was also submitted, together
with a projected statement for the
entire year of 194s, giving effect
to annual wage increases amount
ing to 1914. 705, which were grant
ed all employees of this company
as Of July 3, 194S. This projected
statement shows present rate of
return on the value of our prop
erty Of less than 3 percent.
The new rate requested by this
company for local exchange SER
vice in Port Clinton for city and
rural party line residence service
is $3.50 per month. This repre-
sents an increase of 25c per
month for those subscribers who
now have desk type telephone SER
vice, and SOC per month for those
subscribers now having wall type
service.
"Under the proposed new rates,
the present additional charge of
sf25c per month for a hand-set tele-
phone is discontinued, and any
subscriber may have a hand-set
telephone at the new rate without
additional charge.
ut is proposed that independ-
ent line residence service will be
increased 75c per month for sub
scribers having desk telephone
and $1.00 per month for those
having wall telephone service,
A with the elimination of the pres
"ent additional charge of 25c per
month for handset telephones.
ut is proposed that independ-
ent line business telephones will
be increased $1.75 per month and
party line business telephones 75c
per month. Present telephone
rates in Port Clinton were estab-
lished July /, 1927, at which time
they were below the general STAN
dard Of rates for county seat ex-
changes. However, these rates
have remained unchanged since
July 1, 1927.
Engineers of the Public Utili-
ties Commission will make a de-
tailed field inspection of the prop
erty of this company to determine
its present value. Engineers and
accountants will make an audit of
our books to ascertain the reason
ableness of the exchange rates
|. which the company has requested.
1T is probable that this may re-
quired a period of several months.
Until the commission has finally
fixed and approved new or adjust
ed local exchange telephone rates,
present rates for service will re-
main in effect"