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Columbia, S. C., September 25th, 1919.

ORDER NO. 187.

In re Complaint Against Telephone Service Now Being Rendered by the McCormick Telephone Company.

Upon receipt of the complaint made by Mayor I. C. Harrison, of McCormick, South Carolina, as to inferior service rendered the people of McCormick by the McCormick Telephone Company, of date of 19th of July, 1919, and after considerable correspondence relative to this matter, the Commission reached the opinion that the alleged trouble could not be satisfactorily adjusted without a hearing, and in accordance with that opinion, ordered a hearing to be held at McCormick, S. C., on Thursday, September 4, 1919.

At this hearing appeared the Mayor and about twenty-five interested citizens of the Town of McCormick and subscribers of the above mentioned telephone company. On account of the illness of the President and General Manager of the McCormick Telephone Company, it was impossible for him to be presentmuch to the regret of all interested; however, he was represented by counsel in the person of T. M. Ross, Esq.

After going into the complaint thoroughly, the Chairman of the Commission asked the Mayor and the subscribers to this phone system who were present, if it were their opinion that the aforementioned telephone company was receiving sufficient revenue for its service to warrant such service as was being demanded, and to which the subscribers were entitled. Almost every individual present announced that in their opinion the present rates of $2.00 per month for business phones and $1.00 per month for residence phones would not raise sufficient revenue to warrant the Telephone Company above referred to in furnishing service such as the subscribers were entitled to. At this point in the hearing counsel for the Telephone Company stated that it was impossible to furnish service such as was requested at the present rates received for services and requested the Commission to grant an increase as follows:

$3.00 per month for Special business phones.
$2.50 per month for Duplex business phones.
$2.00 per month for Special residence phones.
$1.50 per month for Duplex residence phones.
To this, all parties present agreed.

In addition to the above, the Commission takes into consideration the increase of the material entering into the construction and maintenance of telephone systems and the increase in the salaries of employees which, necessarily, must be due to the present high cost of living. And in view of the general conditions, the Commission has agreed that the proposed increase in rates is just and equitable to all parties concerned;

IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED, That, on and after October 1, 1919, the McCormick Telephone Company be allowed, and it is hereby authorized, to charge the following rates to its subscribers for telephone service within the city limits of McCormick, South Carolina :

$3.00 per month for Special business phones. $2.50 per month for Duplex business phones. $2.00 per month for Special residence phones. $1.50 per month for Duplex residence phones.

And that as much as two hours service be given to the subscribers by the above mentioned telephone company from 8:30 to 10:30 in the forenoon, and from 3 to 5 o'clock in the afternoon on Sundays; and a reasonable night-time service on every night except Sunday night.

This order to remain in effect until the further order by this Commission.

And it is so ordered.

FRANK W. SHEALY, Chairman.
JAMES CANSLER, Commissioner.
H. H. ARNOLD, Commissioner.

J. P. DARBY, Secretary. (Seal)

Columbia, S. C., November 6th, 1919. ORDER NO. 188.

To All Subscribers Receiving Service From the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company of South Carolina:

The Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company having filed with the Railroad Commission of South Carolina a petition. requesting that body to approve the intrastate rates now in effect in South Carolina for telephone service, and in order that

all telephone subscribers of the various exchanges of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company in this State may have an opportunity to be heard in regard to this matter, the Commission has decided to hold a hearing in reference to this matter in its office in the city of Columbia, S. C., on December 10th, 1919, at 12 o'clock noon. At this hearing all interested parties will be given an opportunity to represent such interests as they may have in connection with this matter, and all such interested persons are requested to be present or to be represented at this hearing.

That pending this hearing and the further orders of the Commission in pursuance thereof, the existing rates established by the Government shall be the rates to be charged for intrastate telephone service, and it is so ordered.

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In re Equipping Railroad Motor Cars With Signal Device. To All Railroads Operating in South Carolina:

The Railroad Commission of South Carolina, in session this day, adopted the following resolution:

"Resolved, That it is the order of the Railroad Commission of South Carolina that any railroad company operating a motor car over its tracks in the State of South Carolina be and is hereby required to equip same with a heavy gong, electric horn, exhaust whistle, or other signal device of such size as will give the proper warning that such car is approachgrade crossings; and that such horn warning must be given at a distance and for a sufficient length of time to properly protect persons or vehicles approaching grade crossing; and that

in the absence of such equipment, all motor cars reduce speed at all grade crossings in this State to four miles per hour;

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In re Elimination Grade Crossings Ashley Junction, DuRant Avenue and Vicinity.

Whereas, the crossing over the tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, at Ashley Junction, has been a menace to public safety; and,

Whereas, the Charleston Sanitary and Drainage Commission, and others of the County of Charleston, have frequently complained of this menace to the Railroad Commission, and

Whereas, the Sanitary and Drainage Commission, officially representing the people of Charleston, have entered into an agreement with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company for the diversion and construction of a State highway from Ashley Junction to a point as described in the blue print attached, and construction of an overhead bridge across the tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, and in order that the public may have all the protection afforded by the construction of the above facilities:

The Commission in regular session on December 2nd, 1919, ordered as follows:

That on completion of the proposed facilities as agreed upon, the crossings A, B, C and D, as specified in the blue print attached, as far as the public is concerned, are abolished.

FRANK W. SHEALY,

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Columbia, S. C., December 11th, 1919.

ORDER NO. 191.

In re Petition of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company to the Railroad Commission of South Carolina Requesting that the Commission Permit the Present Governmental Made Rates to Become the legal Rate for Intrastate Telephone Service in South Carolina.

Upon the filing of the above petition with the Railroad Commission of South Carolina on September 25th, 1919, requesting of the Railroad Commission that it make the governmental made rate the legal rate for intrastate telephone service, both exchange and toll, in South Carolina, the Commission demanded information from the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company that would show the amount of revenue obtained under the present rates, and the amount of expenditures at the present time, as well as a complete statement embodying the increase of wages for employees, the increase in number of employees, and the increase in telephone business. All this was submitted, and has been for some time and is now on file with the Commission.

In addition to above, the Commission has had many conferences with the officials of the telephone company. On November 6th, 1919, the Commission gave notice through the daily papers of South Carolina that it would hold a hearing in regard to this matter in its offices at Columbia, S. C., on December 10th, 1919, at which meeting all subscribers of the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company were requested to be present and represent such interests as they might have in connection with this matter. At the same time the Commission, through the press of the State, requested representatives of the various trades bodies in South Carolina to meet with them in a conference in the offices of the Commission in Columbia on November 19th, 1919. These meetings were well attended by representative business men from various sections of the State and the matter of rates and service was gone into thoroughly by those present representing patrons of the telephone company, the telephone company and the Railroad Commission.

It was the unanimous opinion of those appearing before the Commission that due to the increased cost of labor, material, and the extra number of employees necessary to perform this service, it was impossible for the Southern Bell Telephone and

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