The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-23
GOT THE WORST OF IT
MORE ABOUT THE CITY'S "ADVAN-
TAGES" UNDER TELEPHONE DEAL.
Something of What 1t Pays for Service
to the Central UniOn-New Plan
with lockout System.


year to the city for the franchise that was
surrepttiously given it amounts to be-
comes more apparent as additional facts
come to light. Some days ago the Journal
called attention to the fact that no ar
rangement was made in the franchise re-
curing the company to make low rates to
the city for telephones used in the police
and fire departments. 1t seems that the
company not only refused to make any
such agreement but that it is also gouging
the city at every possible point. The COM
pany even requires, or, at any rate, did re-
quire. patrolmen to pay for the use of the
telephones in making their reports to po-
lice headquarters.
Last February the market master thought
that a telephone for the use of the public
ought to be placed in the markethouse.
The company sent the board the usual sub
scriber's contract, guaranteeing the pay
ment of the quarterly rent in advance. I'm
der date Of Feb. II the minutes of the
board show the following entry:
THE board declined to sign the contract
of the Central Union Telephone Company
for public telephone in the East market
building, and directed the clerk to notify
said company that it would not sign the
same until the company revoked its order
compelling members of the police force to
pay for the use of telephones when report
Richard Herrick, clerk of the board, said
that he did not know whether the order
had ever been revoked, but was inclined to
think that it had. Neither did he know
whether the city was compelled to pay the
usual rental for the telephone at the mar
kethouse.
In a short time the city will have to place
a contract for a hundred telephones that
are to go into the new police patrol boxes
with some telephone company-presumably
with the Central Union. AT the regular
rental of $50 a year the price paid by the
city would amount to $1,000 a year, an
amount equal to the bonus and rev
enue' which the company pays the city,
according to the boast of the Democratic
city platform and the Democratic organs
All fees collected from patrolmen and all
rentals charged for the large number of
telephones in the City Hospital, Dispensary
and the various offices, including those of
the mayor, controller, Board of Works.
Board of Safety, Board of Health, city
clerk, city engineer, foreman of street re-
pairs, etc, put just so much money into the
companys Golfers The company pays the
$1,000 a year cheerfully and winks with
great glee at the thought that it is all to
come back to it with q generous sum in adj
dition.
AS might be expected from a corporation
that had been so literally treated by the
administration, the Central Union Tele-
phone Company is anxious for Mayor Tag
CARTS reelection, and is bringing all it's in
fiuence to bear in his behalf To head off
any clamors on account of the high tele-
phone rates that were fastened on the city
by the administration Mayor Taggart and
%. W.. 81, ga
Gals of the company and concocted that
cheaper class of service" scheme. On
Thursday of last week the board wrote the
telephone company a letter asking when
the cheaper class of service" was to be in
augurated reminding the company that it
had promised to announce a cheaper class
of service when the work of placing its
wires underground was completed. ''As
your wires are now practically under
ground" the board wrote, I'VE are anxious
to hear from you as to what you have to
offer the public in this way
The public had never heard of any such
promise 1t must have been oral if made
at all, as it was not embraced in the fran
chise given the company. Neither had the
company heard of it. An official unwit-
tingly disclosed that fact. Another official,
w. A VAIL the local superintendent, very
frankly admitted that the company did not
intend to reduce its present rates, but
spoke of the fact that q cheaper character
of service, known as the lockout service
might be lldQRufaIeu later IN the year. he
did not know what the rates would be. The
next day the company answered the
boards letter, speaking of the changes that
were being made in the telephone service
One paragraph gave the price that would
be charged. 1t said:
I'm connection with these changes we
shall offer to the public rates under seven
teen new classifcations, ranging as low as
$25 per annum, SIS per annum, $l2 per an
num-. and it is our intention to put this
schedule into operation within a very few
days"
The company followed up this letter to
the board with advertisements in the va
rious papers, and the subject was taken up
editorially by the Taggart organs in order
to impress the public with the idea that
telephone rates were to be reduced. For
the last few days the company has been
preparing for an additional effort to bring
public A large force of clerks is at work
directing postal cards TO every person in
town. The card is got up a good deal like
the priZe-book advertisements, showing
that telephones can be had for "A cents,
cents or cents day" in bold. black type
1t was not the intention to have this fact
made public for a few days The postal
cards bear the name of W. L. Hill, mana
ger, and read:
Il beg to direct your attention to the adj
visibility of placing one of our modern tele-
phones in your residence. Our minimum
rates for first-class service and the best
equipment known to the art are as low as
4 cents, cents or Z cents day, according
to location and classification of service If
you are in need of telephone service it will
pleased to receive your order now, to en-
able us to make the installation and be pre-
pared to furnish you service in connection
with the opening of our new exchange on
Dec. ] or soon thereafter"
A number of men from other cities who
have had bitter experience with the
called lockout system say that it is a
delusion. Superintendent Vail says that
there is no inconvenience from the fact
that ten persons are on the same line, as
when ii is in use no one else on it can hear
what is being said by the subscriber who is
using his phone. An employee of the COM
pany says that the company will not give
that kind of service. Even if it is given he
says that subscribers will ind it very in
convenient TO wait till some other sub
scriber gets through with the line before
using it. Superintendent Vail says that the
lost calls amount to less than l per cent.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Paving.
The Breckenridge Asphalt Company did
the first work on Indiana avenue yesterday.
The material used is Germo-Kentucky
asphalt.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
Resolutions Adopted.
For brick roadway on the first alley west
of Illinois street, from Kentucky avenue to
Maryland street.
n N.