Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-09
GUS ENGLIE. 1908 second ~.

| fence That would come with the re-
| placement of the plant. The outside
| work was now completed, Mr.. Mat
lock said. The company had spared
no money in making the system what
| it should be to n city of the size of
Rock Island. For three years it had
| been practically rebuilding here. 1t
| now had new switch board and the
benefit of other modern improvements
at the central office that should insure
a service beyond complaint. But
Just at the moment when the COM
pany was in position TO give
it's patrons the service it had
planned and hoped to. then came cir
umstances in the central office OYER
which it had no control. One of the
best operators was taken seriously i'll
and was obliged to leave her post,
while two of the other most expert
enced operators got married and left
their positions. These were contin-
gencies, Mr.. Matlock said, of which
the company had no forewarning and
which it was surely powerless to pre-
vent, necessitating the introduction of
three new operators, together with
two additional ones recently installed.
The superintendent stated, neverthe-
most skilled operators of the state to
report here today and assist in tho
duties at the central office until such
time as the service was brought up to
the standard that should be attained.
On the question of pay to the opera
tors, Mr.. Matlock said that the COM
pany was paying in accordance with
a graded system. Its employees wages
were on par with what was generally
paid for this class of work-from
$40 to $25 per month-but not
quite what was paid in Davenport.
He had made recommendations for an
increase in the wages of Rock Island
and Moline operators to what is being
paid in Davenport, and he felt assured
the advance would be allowed. He
did not believe the service here was
exorbitant, quoting it at SIS and $2i
per annum. but being corrected that
The rates here We're $24 and
$50 and higher per 'annum, he
admitted that in other cities
smaller than Rock Island where local
conditions, due to opposition or other
wise, made such course necessary,
the rates were lower than in Rock Isl
and. The other points in the COM
mittee's report. Mr.. Matlock said, he
would like to take up with the pres-
dent Of the company, as they had not
been brought to his notice before, and
he asked that action in accordance
with the recomm endations be sus-
pended until after such a conference
could be had. He promised that the
company would give a service here
that would meet with public satisfac-
tion in all respects. That was what
it was here for and he spoke of some
suggestions that he had put into
effect during the day in the matter Of
keeping a notation of calls, where the
wanted was busy, and no.
tifying the one calling as soon as con-
nection could he made. As to the OBJ
jectionable practice inaugurated by
the local management of indiscrimi-
nately stating ave can't get them"
in instances where telephones are out
of order, Mr.. Matlock said that such
a practice was a rule unauthorized.
and that it would be discontinued at
once.
There were remarks upon the ma
ture of the service, the desires of pa
irons and remedies byW c. Maucker.
j. T. Stafford, n. Levi, Maj. G. w.
Halves, f. III. Plummer. L. j. Medill
and l.. S. McCabe. and finally the sug-
gestions of the latter two gentlemen
that the execution of the provisions
Of the report be suspended for two
weeks to enable Mr.. Matlock to con-
fer with the executive of the company
were acquiesced and the club adj
iourned until two weeks from last
night.
President Bahnsen named as the
complete committee on telephone SER
vice. DIR. G. L. Eyster. +. ii. Guyer,
w. c. Maucker, L. S. McCabe and L.
J. Medill.