The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-24
BUSINESS MEN TALK
Opinions on the Matter of
Having Two Telephones.
HAS BEEN UP BEFORE
DR.. Minick Gives Result of
Systems Other Places.

asked their opinion and preference yes
terday. Business men were selected be-
cause they are the men who must in large
measure bear the expense Of the double
system nuisance. There are not many
people in Wichita not in business down
town who have residence phones. The
residence phone patrons will not be par
ticuIarly burdened with q double system
They are not dependent upon the phone
for the patronage Of customers as down
town grocery, drug or dry goods stores,
or meat market, livery barn, hotel or rail-
road Office 1t is immaterial whether they
reach any great number or places or not
But the business men depend largely up
on the phone for trade orders, etc. Here
is what some Of them say. There is no
room here for the expression Of all the
merchants seen. at another time the
others will be quoted:
| Dr. J. NJ. Minnick,, formerly member
| Of the council and one of the committee
that looked up the double phone system
some years ago: am very much OPP
posed to two local phone systems. While
1 was a member Of the council this same
matter came I'D, and at first I was In
! favor of it. I was one of the committee
who were appointed to look into the mat
ter. went to Topeka and to Fort Scott
/ for this special purpose. While at To-
peka | went to the Office Of one of my
! professional friends, and he told NE that
! two local phone systems was the great
est nuisance on earth. He was obliged
| to keep two telephones in his office and
| two at his residence, and also said that
| he got no more benefit from the two
! than he had received from the one. 1
called at a dozen other places where
they subscribed to both companies and
found that everybody felt the same way
| the doctor did about it
81 then went to Fort Scott and found
that they were Disguised with their two
companies. In this matter, Of course, I
took the opinions OF those who had had
experience with double systems, and
came back with my mind fully made up
that two systems were a detriment rather
than an advantage"
Mr.. Morsman Of the Morsman-Innes
dry goods house on North Main:
II have observed the results where
towns have had two systems in operation
and I know that it IS not only more ex-
pensive than one system, but a positive
disadvantage. Take a business mana
dry goods man, for instance. There are
two telephone systems in the town where
he does business. He cannot depend upon
one phone, for there are a number Of
people he cannot reach He depends per-
Frg- rlc~ss
direction or change of orders from his
patrons. So he must have the two. One
of them rings. He doesn't know which.
He must hello at one, ana if he receives
no answer he must go to the other. He
wastes time, and when he has paid for
two phones it costs him more than one,
of course
1.-The telephone business is different
from the ordinary mercantile business
The cost OF construction increases with
the number of phones and this is espec-
tally true when it becomes necessary TO
add new swi tchboards and new app /
ances. Now in the manufacture of ar
ticles of commerce-say any article US
ualy handled in a dry goods store. the
more you make or sell the cheaper is the
proportionate cost OF production 10 the
limit Of capacity. Nearly every mercan-
tile or manufacturing establishment runs
below the limit of ca9acity. Nearly any
store in Wichita could sell mere goods
without increasing the size OF its rooms
o. adding to the force OF clerks Take
a clerk who sells 800 worth OF goods in
a day. He could If the customers were 10
come. sell $3.50, which doubles his en-
pIoyers profit without increasing his ex-
pense. Added appliances. more wire and
expensive instruments must be used in
the construction Of every single phone,
and the expense increases in proportion
10 the distance. The charges Of the pres
emit company l think are very reasonable
for efficient service"
]. p. Allen: Two systems would be
expensive and confusing"
Rufe Cone: There are other public
utilities in Wichita that need attention a
great deal more than the telephone why
don't the council go after some other
things the people are really dissatisfied
with"
G J. Mackey OF the Mackey drug com
pany: II certainly do not want to be !
compelled 10 put in another phone and /
a new company should get as many as
- or 80 subscribers ii have % /
have that. too. \ business man I
could not get along without the Old I
phone for there'd be a large proportion /
OF thu puoiic ne couldn', reach
". E Jet of the JET & Wood Wholesale 4
grocery: L am In favcr ot getting as 4
cheap telephone service as Is possible fo- /
efficiency. but done Sc how two sys- /
TENS are goinig 70 save anything for the 4
business man. TANK the present com
pany could give Us lower rates. but is 4
only adding expense 70 have two sys- 4
tens
Mr.. Bach OF the Wichita Wholesale gro
Gerry company: It's 4 rad idea = think 4
- putting In another telephone system.
It's simply adds confusion and expense
sithou. Increasing the efficiency Of IRE /
service. The retail men would be az 4
greater disadTartaEs than the 5obbe-s.
but I would c71Del marty al Of Is u 1
7ut in two phones. And alybo5y can see
-ha, i; would add u the expense instead
u decreasing L."
GRAND LODGE REGALlA