Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-14
Low Telephone Rates.
From the New York Tribune today.

From the New York Tribune today.
Eastern business men who have secretly.
II not openly, rebelled against the prices
which they are compelled to pay for tele-
phone service, twenty years after Bells
great invention first came into general Use
will be interested in knowing what has re-
Gently been accomplished in Michigan in
the way of organized rebellion against mo-
nopoly.
Detroit. with population exceeding 300
600, now has an Independent telephone COM
pany. whose central station is serving 1890
customers. and which expects to accommo-
date 200 or LOO more within the next six
months. The switchboard at the main sta
ton is large enough to provide for 1OOOO
subscribers. One substation is already in
operation, and two more will soon be es-
tablished. Each will have capacity of at
least 900 drops" It is asserted that at
the opening of the present year the Detroit
company had three-year contracts with
$3.50 subscribers. besides 2,25S individuals
or firms in other parts Of Michigan who are
reached by connecting lines. During a sin
gle day not long ago about "a 600 connec-
tions were made at the Detroit central sta
ton. This is an average of eleven per Gus
toner daily, or 5000 or $500 annually.
Not only do Detroit people use their tele-
phones quite as frequently as other folks
but they appear to get quite as good a
quality of service. The company referred
to uses transmitter of the granular car
bon" type, which works equally we'll in
local and long-distance conversation. That
it gives satisfaction Is evident from the
continued and rapid growth of the COM
pany's business after 1t had once introduced
it's apparatus. And yet the rates which
this Independent organization demands are
only from one-third to one-sixth as great
as those which New Workers. pay. For pri-
vate houses the price in Detroit is $25
year, and for places Of business only $40!
The Detroit Telephone Company is closely
allied with two other corporations. One of
these manufactures all the instruments and
fittings needed in equippfng an exchange,
and the other has been covering the state
of Michigan with a network of wire, con-
Meeting Detroit with other towns. Already
this aforementioned company has nearly 100
exchanges and toll stations in operation, as
the result OF single summers "hustling,"
and 1t has only just begun its campaign
Here is a practical demonstration Of what
may be done In almost any city in the
United States. 1t will not do to overlook
the fact that telephones usefulness to a
Der Of other subscribers served by the same
exchange. Nevertheless, the exactions of
the established monopoly created a public
sentiment In Detroit which made it practi-
cable to organize successful revolution.
and take away large proportion of the old
company's patrons. There Is no reason to
suppose that the Bell company was more
extortionate in Detroit than 1t has been
elsewhere. or that the people of that city
are usually any quicker to resent what they
consider an outrage than other folks are
Neither has Detroit a monopoly of the sa-
gacity and enterprising spirit which were
such important factors in this achievement.
Moreover, reasonable reduction in rates
Is not too sanguine a prediction, PERHAPS
to say that sooner or later the masses will
use the telephone almost as freely as they
do the malls, the street cars, city water
and electric lights And the day is GER
tainly FASTENED by such revolutions as this
one in Michigan.