The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-09-08
THE TELEPHONE QUEST ON.

by the act of the Cumberland
Telephone and Telegraph Co. il
raising their rates to what the 10
ca Manager says is standard rates
for cities Of the size Of New
Iberia, and smaller; that is s2.5C
for business houses, $50 for re-
| sidences.
| AS was to be expected, mum
Der OF the phones were taken out.
and the criticism Of the act of the
Company was severe. On Monday
! this criticism was to be heard in
so many different portions OF
town, that an IBERIAN reporter
called on Mr.. L. L. Nickers, the
Manager, to hear what he had to
say on the subject.
This gentleman, as might be ex-
Eected, was busy and was found
on the street looking after business.
lie was approached, without cir
cumlocution, and Just as readily
as might be expected under the
circumstances, gave his side of
the matter. Mr.. Vickers said:
ave will Of course lose some
phones. To begin with we may
lose one half the number we have
in at present, but this loss will be
only temporary. In evidence of
this is the fact that some few
phones ordered out have already
been ordered rut in again. We
are only asking for living rates. |
can make an affidavit that our
payroll, salaries alone,is sometimes
larger than our receipts from
rentals. This cheap rate was
simply put on to show the people
the difference between the Cumber-
land service and the opposition.
The people make an error inbeliev
ing that the telephone business is
ali profit.
For the information of your read
ers give you detailed account of
our July payroll.
Our payroll for July was S346. sc.
Then there is the royalty we pay
the American Bell Co., rent, light,
taxes, etc. We had 335 subscribers.
The mon thly income on these instru-
ments only amounts to $343. so. ST.
any one can readily see that the Co.
instead of making money here. has
actually operated at loss every day
they have been giving service. We
put IN two new switch boards in
December at a cost of several hun
bred dollars. We have employed 2
operators at twenty dollars per
month, ex ra for Sundays; l operator
at seventeen dollars per month, extra
for Sundays; 3 operators at ten dol
lars per month; l lineman at fifty |
dollars per MONTH; liDeman at forty
five dollars; one lineman at forty dol
lars per month; inspector at thirty
five dollars per month; extra men at
one twenty five per day. Then after
my salary as manager and my wife's
salary as chief OPERATORS taken out,
there is nothing for the Co. and they
have not made enough to pay expen-
Some Sersons seem to imagine that
this advance is my work. Surely
YOU know that big corporation
like the Cumberland would never
brook interference on this point
from local Manager There is no
question but the Cumberland gives
first class service. Our constitution
is the best and we maintain our
lines to. / have nothing more to
add excepting that the rates we
are giving are the standard rates
paid by Jeanerette, Abbeville,
Lafayette, Franklin, and towns of
that size, both north and south,
and that Notwithstanding the fact
that construction south costs US
one third more"
Other matters here claimed Mr..
Vicker's attention, and he walked
away.
Several houses for rent cheap,
specially three PEAT cottages on
Est side OF the Bayou, known as
,ho E,,zhuyh COTTAGES Apply to