Opinion ID: 2050767
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Substantial Evidence to Sustain the Order.

Text: Under sec. 227.20 (1) (d), Stats., a reviewing court may not reverse an administrative agency order on the ground that it is unsupported by the evidence if there is substantial evidence in view of the entire record as submitted which supports it. The testimony of all the petitioner-witnesses, including those now receiving Weyauwega service, was that they had no community of interest with the village of Weyauwega, where Weyauwega's exchange is located, but did have a community of interest with New London, where Wis. Tel. Co.'s exchange is situated. This community of interest was evidenced by the fact that New London was the locality in which their employment, banking, medical, and social activities were most frequently conducted. Furthermore, they testified that the great majority of their shopping and patronizing of professional men was done in New London. Also, the evidence showed that the business district and churches in the unincorporated community of Royalton are in the open territory being serviced by both Wis. Tel. Co. and Manawa, while the residence district, in which the 15 petitioners reside, is serviced by Weyauwega; and that Weyauwega patrons have to pay toll charges to communicate with that portion of the community located across the river. In determining whether this evidence supports the commission's finding that public convenience and necessity require the extension of service to the 15 petitioners, the factors which constitute public convenience and necessity must be considered. One of these factors is the inadequacy of present servicein this case, that being supplied by Weyauwega. The evidence above recounted relates to this factor and substantially establishes that Wis. Tel. Co. service would more adequately meet the needs of petitioners than service by Weyauwega. The fact, that Weyauwega patrons residing in the unincorporated community of Royalton could secure foreign-exchange service which would enable them to call New London without passing through the Weyauwega exchange, does not require the PSC to find that public convenience and necessity would be satisfied by such a substitute. Lodi Telephone Co. v. Public Service Comm., supra . Another factor to be considered is whether the proposed extension would entail a duplication of lines. However, this factor is not controlling. Lodi Telephone Co. Case, supra. A further factor is the effect of loss of subscribers on the utility presently rendering service, with possible adverse effect upon the service that such utility can give to its remaining patrons. Id. Still another factor is whether the cost of extending the lines by the utility whose service is sought would be disproportionate to the revenue to be derived from new customers secured as a result thereof. The evidence presented on these two last-mentioned factors was not such as to require a reviewing court to find that it outweighed the need for providing the petitioners with more-adequate service. The weighing of these various factors is a policy function which lies peculiarly within the province of the PSC. If there exists any reasonable basis in the evidence for the determination made by the commission, a reviewing court should not disturb it. Here there was substantial evidence that in order to provide the 15 petitioners with adequate service it was necessary that Wis. Tel. Co. extend its lines into the portion of the unincorporated community lying southwest of the river. The resulting loss to Weyauwega and burden imposed upon Wis. Tel. Co. were not such as to render unreasonable the PSC's finding that public convenience and necessity required the extension.