The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-16
RATES TO REMAIN HIGH
COMPANY CAN LAUGH
AT BOARD OF WORKS.
The Board and TaGgart Gave Com
pany Perpetual Franchise-A
"Cheap Class of Service"

Mayor Taggart has become alarmed over
the frequent publication of the fact that
perpetual franchise was given the Central
Union Telephone Company by his admins
tration without any provision embodied re-
curing it to reduce the price charged pa
irons, and, after comforting with the Board
Of Public Works, has decided on a scheme
to create the impression that there was an
agreement on the part of the company to
furnish lower telephone rates after its
wires were placed underground. This is
denied by officials of the company. The
board yesterday morning sent the following
letter:
"Gentlemen-When arrangements were
made with your company by the city to
put your wires underground you promised
that you would announce, when your work
was competed, a cheaper class of service.
AS your wires are now practically under
ground we are anxious to near from you
as to what you have to offer the public in
this way.
If there was a promise made by the COM
pany to announce "a cheaper class of serv-
Ice II was not embraced in the franchise
granted it, and was purely verbal and nom
enforcible. In the letter to the company
the board said nothing about lower gen.
eral rates, but spoke of a cheaper class
of service"
what is known as the lockout" system.
This is a system of telephone service I'M
der which four patrons are placed on the
circuit. When one of them IS using the
line the others must wait. Apparatus is
used by which the exchange operator may
''cut out" the other three patrons when one
is using the line A signal over the tele-
phones on the line indicates line busy.
The rates for this class OF service Will De
somewhat lower than the ordinary rate.
W. A Vail, local superintendent OF the
company, had not received the board S COM
munication when he was seen by q journal
reporter Yesterday afternoon: MT r,,Ni al
said that if there was ever an agreement
to reduce telephone rates after the wires
were placed underground he knew nothing
of it, and he seemed pretty certain that
"IndianapoIis.' said he, 'has the best
rates of any city in the country. When
our new board is in our exchange VIII De
equipped with the most modern apparatus
Of any in the country and the service VIII
be the best to be had
He went on to explain that copper wire
was being used exclusively and that all
instruments would be on copper nletallc
circuits. ,, obaono-
class of service-lhe lockout sys-
tenn This has been tried in Brooklyn
N. Y. New York city 1oan l o ~,
in every respect We find that the per-
centage of lost calls is only about l per
cent.-practically nothing. -
What will be the price of this class or
service?"
'"The rate has not yet been fixed"
what is it in other cities where the SyS-
tenn is in operation?
Really, l cannot tell you. 40 not
know ca...o.
Mr., Vail said that he had been to Chicago
twice to work up this new feature lately
He said that while this service was spe-
cially adapted to residences 1t was satis-
factory to large number of business men
who have less frequent occasions 70 use
telephone 1t is the policy TO put business
house on q circuit with three residences.
Care is taken for instance, not TO put Two
doctors, two grocers or other patrons IKE
~ to have frequent telephone calls on
the same circuit .,,, 4t,u.
Mr. Vail SAID that it was possible mere
was a verbal agreement as to lower rates
generally. Such an agreement might nave
been made without his knowledge as ne
did not come to Indianapolis until July.
From the tone of his conversation, now
ever it was apparent that nothing OF TINS
sort would be done and that the only way
customers could escape paying the present
extortionate rate is by doubling up on
the line Business men and others VINO pre-
fer to have separate telephone service VIII
evidently continue to pay the same rates
now demanded until there is a change OF
administration and something is zone TO
make competition possible.
II aDDears that a cheaper class or serV-
ices means q less satisfactory class-not a
reduction of rates for Mr.. Vails mod
ern system