Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-03-02
.ASTARTLINC DANGER
The Relssions of the Telephone 60
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LARGE SALES AND SMALL PROFITS
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There is . class Of persons IN this city
who do not regard tue prospective sss
tabllshment Of the electric railway sys-
TEN with utter oompisoens, ~ say
nothing al the enthusiasm manifested
ia some quarters. The class referred
to are the telephone people. And Il is
we'll enough 20 remark here that panic
among producers always means, eco
nomicaliy, discomfort among con-
suniers. Consequently, the proposed
change from horse power and cattle
pg ser 81 that Of electricity ia Grand
Rapids Is a matter OF deepest inoment
10 every citizen whose interest hangs Ia
any way on the efficiency OF the service
rendered by the telephone
Whether or not the public al large
can understand a general exposition of
the philosophy OF IL, Il Is an every asy
fact Of experiences that the heavy cur
rents OF electricity KNOCK ouF' the
small currents employed IN the teie-
phone. Why the electric light currents
should interfere with the telephone ser
vice, few people can explain, bUi that
they actually DO go il al experimental
fact 10 nearly everybody. All old users
OF the telephone We'll remember The
change which the electric light wrought
IN the telephone service. Before the
/ dynamo currents wefe turned on, al
was clear; after thai, al wac buzzlig
and confusion.
But now that il ls proposed 10 line all
the streets of the city, by day ss well
as by night, with dynamo currents,
the telephone people stand with opea
mouths of apprehension. Everybody
ia the CITY Knows what the electric
| light induction neans, but few of
| the people have stopped 10 consider
| what telephone service will slgndy
when every street OF the city upon
| which street cars are drawn shall be
strung with n line carrying d current o.
electricity much more detrimental i0
telephone service than any electric
light current that now exists.
what are you gong 10 do about its'
said a TELEGRAM-HERAI.D man 10 y
prominent telephone man.
| 'oh, kafI we 90 tbt bisk
we can. We have been looking towards
these contingencies for years. The
people think the Charges for telephone
service are very high, but they know
nothing about the expense of IL IL
may be true that profiis have been good
of late years, bat the day Is coming
when larger outlsys will be inevitable.
The telephone 2s the under dog
in all the fights for The
possession Of the right Of way The
electric light made ne q host OF trouble.
We had to pay out large Gums OF money
10 keep those lines from destroying our
business utterly. Invention first came
in, aud then the buying up of the M
| ventors. We now have q neutral line
system that partially obviates the diff
Guilty. That is expensive, and the gen
eral pubic knows nothing about IL.
But the neutral line ls of limited
usefulness, and will not serve us every
where. There is known 10 electricians
only one absolutely sure remedy against
this awful mischief Of induction, but
the remedy is so expensive that IL -
doubtful IL II can bc successfully en-
ployed without raising our rates.
What Imean 10 the metallic circuit
system. That j. 10 say, II every line
bad return Inc, doubling on thesnain
one, there would be no danger OF
any current, not eycn of lightning.
But, unfortunately. such a line would
involve a change from cellar 20 garnet
of our exchange aud switching system.
We cannot afford this now. We may
have 10 come 10 II. bot we do Doi want
10 do so. II will he too expensive. IL
will incur an expense sufficient 10 take
; off the profits of years. Do you see
the telephone people, who make very
little noise. bui who keep up "a devil oi
thinking, are the last ones 10 pray Tor
the success OF the electric railways IN
the city OF Grand Rapids"
"Buf." pers'sted TIE reporter. ''the
electro lights sle Bct q very disturbing
element IN telephone communication"
Every true, bui 4 IL not my business
20 put the pabiic On ~ such things.
But you 40 up to Leonard-st. and try
to telephone from there IN the evening.
after the lights are burning throughout
the CITY. lon viii be shut out abso-
lutely 10y the induction. District isle-
phones are often wholly useless IN tise
night. The reason Of this u that II
would not pay Us 10 pat on tie Be1-
traiiziug appliances. II you come Tar
fher down towards Brldge-st you will
, see tnai the induction is not 40
bad. The reason - that Il pays
a. 90 Dsutraiize 4 on
circuits that are grouped - pleritifully
within 90 short distsDce of the cen
trail Office. We can Deutrslize the
Leonard ct. induction. but we do not
choose TO do so. IL c0sts too much
monty.
"Btlt when the STREET cars are run bv
electricity. ! cannot say what viii
occur. Perhaps We shall have 70 tske
out the whole exciting apparatus OF our
exchange 81 enormous expense, and
substitute sorncthine wholly new. The
people think the telephone is making
money, bot the people 90 not consider
bow ruuch the telephone 10 liable 70
lose nj a rnosnent's notice"