proposed hikes to local telephone charges.

And they rejected BTC's cry of poverty in the face of massive payments to shareholders which the telephone company had claimed should be borne by phone users.

And it is understood the Commission also directed BTC to come up with a plan to provide a free emergency telephone service to those in "dire'' circumstances -- invalids and the elderly. But BTC could appeal against the decision directly to Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb -- who for that reason could not comment last night.

BTC bid rejected The telephone company sparked a storm of protest when it announced its plan to increase its local line rental to offset the huge cost of the Government order last month for BTC to cut its fees to international carriers.

BTC argued that by lowering those fees it would lose $33,000 a day and have to slash 100 people off its 400-strong workforce.

But instead of allowing BTC to raise the standard monthly residential line rental from $16 to $34 by July 1 -- as BTC proposed in its controversial plan -- the Commission's decision allows only a $2 increase backdated to January 1.

And no changes are permitted to those customers' 50 free-call allowance.

One condition the Commission imposed was that the BTC maintain current staffing levels unless it could prove any cut would not impair their ability to maintain service.

The decision was not quite as business-friendly, but fell far short of BTC's proposed hike to the standard monthly business line rental rate from $22 to $37 by July 1.

Instead the Commission allowed only a $10 hike to the monthly fee.

And the body rejected BTC's plan to recover the $2.3 million per year in interest on bonds from subscribers, ruling that sum was actually a benefit to shareholders rather than a cost to be met by phone users.

Shadow Telecommunications Minister Pamela Gordon said it was a win for the people.

A BTC spokeswoman said they only received the decision after the close of business and needed time to review it before making any comment.

TEEN STABLE AFTER STABBING UNK CRM RG P3 28.1.1999 Teen stable after stabbing A young Warwick man was last night listed in stable condition at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after being stabbed early yesterday morning.

Central CID officers are investigating the alleged stabbing incident which left the 17-year-old requiring surgery after an altercation with another youth at 2.30 a.m.

Police and ambulance staff raced to the area of Front and King Street and found the victim laying on the ground and bleeding profusely.