Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1958-02-07
Rural Users To
Be Zoned;; Other
Changes Listed

Inc Ohio Bell Telephone Com
pany mas filed an application for
rate increases with the Public Util-
tiles Commission, according to
Robert P. Redman, manager of the
London telephone exchange. West
Jefferson will be included i'm the
Franklin county telephone zone
which includes the Columbus met
ropolitan area. Thus, West Jeffer-
son telephone subscribers would be
able to call Columbus at the regu-
lar proposed rates, it was said.
Subscribers in the London zone
will continue to be served in the
same manner as previously except
for the proposed increase.
The company proposes to discon-
tinue present mileage charges and
establish two rate zones to cover
the territory outside the base rate
area to the limits of the London,
Sedalia and West Jefferson ex-
change boundaries. This means
that subscribers located in the out
lying territory would pay the same
basic rates that apply in the city
proper plus zone differential,
based on whether they had an in
dividual line, a 2-party or 4-party
line. Rural eight-party service
would also be continued in the out
lying territory.
Within the Dase rate of the Lon
don exchange area, the company
proposes tc increase individual res
idence lines from 1896 to S4.45 per
month. 2-party lines and 4-party
lines would go UP from S3.35 and
$3.50 to S3.70 and S3.15, respective
ly. Rural 8-party lines would be
increased from So 15 to $3.50. Bus
mess service would go up from
$500 to S8.25. It was noted that
2-party business telephones would
be discontinued and that rural g.
party business lines would be SUBJ
stituted at a rate of S1.10 per
month over the old rate of $3.50.
The companys proposal con-
tains plan to include the West
Jefferson exchange in the Colum-
bus metropolitan calling area,
eliminating long distance charges
between West Jefferson and Co
lumbus, including all Franklin
county exchanges.
Within the base rate of the West
Jefferson area, the company pro-
poses to increase individual resi-
dence rates from S395 to $500. A
new 2-party service would be
available at $500 per month. A.
party and S-party service would go
up from $3.50 and S3.15 to S4.45
and S4.80, respectively.
West Jefferson business service
was scheduled for the biggest in
crease-from $500 to SIPS. q
party business lines would be dis
continued and an individual meas
ured rate business service" SUBJ
stituted at a cost of $8.75. Rural g.
party business lines would be in
creased from $3.50 to SITS, it was
said.
Telephone extensions were also
scheduled TO be increased from 85c
to S100 for residences and from
$50 to S175 for businesses.
In its application the company
sold it has spent S546. 100000 since
1916 to expand and improve its
lines and equipment and that pres
ent rates are too low to justify the
continuation of its large-scale pro-
~~a"', "TncreaSed costs Of mater
ials and equipment, higher taxes
and higher wages were cited as the
major reasons for the decline in
earnings. Since the last rate appli-
cation the company said its annual
wage bill alone has been increased
S18 100000. Current earnings are
less than four and one half per
cent on the value of its property,
the companv said.
Present plans call for further
expenditure of $3.50 100000 for ex-
pansion in the next three years.
'"The cost of doing business has
continued to increase and earnings
have reached a point where pres
ent rates and charges are less than
inst and reasonable" the applica-
tion said.
Also proposed in the application
are reductions on all station-to-
station long distance calls over 81
miles within the state, and increas-
es in most short-haul calls and per-
son-to-person calls; elimination of
the present charges on most spe-
cial-type telephone cords; and es-
tablishing a flat S. for the purpose
of moving and changing telephone
lines and instruments. Upward
rate revisions are also sought for
PIX switchboards. mobile service
for vehicles and other miscellane-
Gus service offerings.