The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-03-02
THE TELEPHONE COMPANY.

| fiud 1t impossible to fully explain mat
ters 10 detail to each Individual enquirer:
therefore knowing that the eplrlt OF fair
ness VI hlch the Pilot has always shown,
still exists, desire to disabuse the minds
OF some Of our people IN relation TO these
rumore, which, without refutatlon may
appear reasonable, but after investigation
will readily show their RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1t has been freely circulated by man
that uses far more diligence with bis
tongue than With bis hands, thai the
Wisconsin, Company was erecting poles
on Washington street for the sole puf-
pose Of heading off anticipated competl-
ton. This man, TO substantlate his
charges, points to the fact that the Wiz
consin company are setting poles IN three
feet o; frost, and also to the fact that the
Company already have line on the
south side of Wgshiu gton street and are
10 the act OF building another on the
north side OF same street.
Now the "a is in this ma ter are these.
For years the Wisconsin company has
set poles winters, as we'll as summers.
Frosts have been no barrier TO progress
with this company and bnt two winters
ago We performed the same acts, only not
quite SO extensively, In this city without
exciting any particular comment, posslb-
ly fer the reason that rival company
was then unantIcIpated and the man with
diligence IL circulating rumors failed 10
discover the improvements.
1t is fact that we now have line on
the south SIDE OF Washington street and
by rights, that side of the street should
still be 10 possession of our company but
through the dlscourteous acts OF the
man who contracted with MIR. Schuette
to erect the Electric Light plant our
right-of- way on that side of the street has
been assumed by the Electric Light Co.
and we are forced, IN order 20 keep peace
with orr neighbors, to take the opposite,
and battle with obstacles, IN the way of
trees, that they sought to avoid. Oar
poles on the south side OF the street were
but 25 feet 10 height and it was an easy
matter to build OVER us with the electric
light wires but cow that our business
has outgrown the capacity of the small
poles and new subscribers are waiting to
be connected with the exchange, We are
forced to adopt the opposite side, as it
must be plain to all that two lines of high
poles canuot be erected on the same side
of the street. Beyond this Is 1t reason
ington street would bar the entrance OF a
new company. Telephone companies
are not SO easily discouraged.
Much is being In said 10 the matter OF
rates, and in the com parsons that are
drawn with the attempttO show the wide
differences between the Wlsconsin's and
other companies rates, it Is always notice
able that our company's rate is invariably
tod m HI 10 he
rate OF competing companies it is given
as Toe. and 81 90 IN other words We are
always given the benefit OF having our
highest rate quoted while the same au-
thority will quote competing company
the Wisconsin company's rates range
from SIPS to $500 for dwellings and
50 90 TO So 90 for business places.
Opposition exchanges are maintaining
rate of 81 90 to So so IN most places
while in one OF two instances / under
stand that 75c. is being given to resi-
dences and 81. 80 for business places.
| have yet to hear Of a complaint of the
service that our company Is rendering to
the business houses at 50 90 per month
To fact have heard 1t frequently remark
ed by people using that class of service
people elected to Day the higher rates
With the Wisconsin company you are II
communication with the world. With
simply have your little home circle tC
communicate with, difference that il
we'll worthy of consideration.
People will ask why these differences
in rates between the Wisconsin and Other
nDr no MI tntn rrf
answer: For the pat five years the com
pany has not paid to exceed per cent. or
its investment 10 THE state. Can this bt
termed as other than a reasonable prof
and would any business man of ordinary
intelligence yield to a reduction under
like circumstances or would he promptly
decide that it would be better to cease
business entirely than to do it at q loss
But, you ask, how is it that other com
panies apparently thrive on the rates
they are maintaining. Here, Is where
our company believe that only q little
more time will be necessary to educate
the public fully on this point. TIE cos,
OF business, tbs magnitude OF which
this company is engaged In can better be
judged after term OF years than: within
brief period. Three nor tive years
phone business to demonstrate it's actual
earnings.
The acreage HE OF telephone plant
or exchange Is about ten years. To be
sure, by neglectlng .ha interests of your
patrons it may be forced to do longer ser
wee but experience has taught (all but
the companies that have recently sprung
into exlstence) that with the constant
changes and improvements in the tele
phone business, the rapid growth OF the
business whereby the increase in sub
scribers, due to growing population OF
Otherwise, renders the original plant uu-
servIceable 10 the time above specified
and experience has taught that 1t is bet
ter TO tear 1t down, relegating both poles
and wires to the dump rather than at
tempt to patch lt.up, thus We believe that
the time is not far distant when the new
organizations that have sprung into ex.
istence will find where they have miscag.
culated largely, provided they keep
abreast OF the improvements in the ser.
vice.
These newly organized companies are
at present reaping the cream of their
business but time will no doubt deal
with them as it has with others In the
past, then we look for sadder but wiser
lot Of telephone organizers. T1ere is not
a pole or wire IN our exchange today that
composed its former make up. Four
times in lis history have We changed
swIIch-boards. Four times have we been
compelled to dredge end lay new cables
across the Msnitowoc river. There Is not
hand telephone nor transmitter ia the
city that went to make up our former ex
change. For the third time are We chang
ing the bells used in the exchange and
there are many other expenses of like
nature that could be enumerated all of
which have been calculated By the older
companies in the actual cost of telephone
eArvlce as taught by experiences of the
p It.
It is we'll known fact that the cost Of
telephone service in Milwaukee is about
double that of Manitowoc and 10 Chicago
three times as much. Depreciation In
the plant by outgrowinR itself, in the ad-
dition of new subscribers, rendering it
unfit for further use and compelling a re-
build at frequent intervals Is one of the
DriDcIplA caucaS for this 3iffaropoo ~