The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-29
= FREE TELEPHONE.

OOSAA
curing when that great agency of per-
sonal information, the telephone, would
be made available for general use as a
public agency. They have seen the in
vention outlive the operation of the pat
ent laws, without any sign that the dis
covery would be made available for pub
lie use, save as the medium for enrich
ment of those engaged in its operation.
enduring signs that the invention would
be restored to public ownership for many
years to come
Recently an experiment has been made
of the use of a free telephone. 1t was in
an inconsiderable town in Wisconsin.
A free telephone station was established,
placed in a prominent position, and the
public invited to use it without let or
hindrance. The result is accepted as a
test of the utility of free telephone serv-
ice, although 1t was an entirely unjust
and partial one.
The telephone company, at the sugges-
ton of the mayor Of the community, es-
tabished a free public station. 1t was
placed in a booth at the intersection of
two principal streets, on the sidewalk.
At night the booth was lighted with cleo
trcity It's interior contained nothing but
a card Of the subscribers and the in
strument. Two or three months
after the experiment was inaugurated it
was declared to 'have proved a popular
success from the start
But the sequel was not satisfactory.
While the company's list of subscribers
was increasing with remarkable rapidity,
and the increase was generally regarded
as due to the increased value Of the tele-
phone service to merchants by reason of
the number Of people with whom the free
telephone brought them in communica-
ton. three months later the experiment
was abandoned as a failure.
The reason for the failure, as declared
by the company and the merchants, was
the abuse of the free service by certain
irresponsible members Of society who
abused the privilege offered to them.
Youngsters and irresponsibles' had de-
faced the booth and used the instrument
''recklessly and viciously, making fele-
phone calls for mischief and worse.'
The booth on the sidewalk was accord
ingly removed, and the experiment given
up without any protest from the public,
and, as has been said, an orderly Western
town was deprived Of its free telephone
service because of the same kind OF
rowdyism that has checked some of the
efforts at tree planting in the slums of
the great cities
1t is difficult to understand how this
experience is to be regarded as proving
the impracticability of free telephone
exchange. There was no safeguard es-
tablished to prevent its abuse. There was
no penalty declared against the abuse of
the privilege involved. The rowdy ele-
ment asserted itself, as it always does,
and prevented the enduring success which
might otherwise have been wrought.
So far as this being accepted as proof
of the failure Of the general public utili-
cation of free telephone, it is really an
instructive lesson of the ease and faciI-
fly with which the new order will be in
augurated when the time comes. There
must of course, be some pains taken to
avoid the abuse of the privilege; but it
must not be Of drastic character. The
telephone will one day be free agency
of public and private communication.
The experience in GAINESVILLE, Wis, proves
that when the time comes the general
public will have a proper understanding
Of the privilege involved and will protect
it securely against the inroads of van
dals and blackguards.