The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-05

10 take into consideration the fact that If
unlimited service is furnished II all OF
the &.G&0 telephones. a. least One-fouTth
more operators. at salaries varying from
$50 10 $500 per year would be required
TO operate the sWitchbcaTds than are re
CURED TO operate those OF the Chesapeake
and Potomac Company under existing con
cl1ons-jhis for the reason that while enc
operator can take care of 200 subscribers
lines upon the measured service basis. one
operator cannot take care Of more than
ninety or a hundred lines having unlimited
use
I assert. without fear of successful con
tradictIOn, that the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company is not employ
ing too many operators. TOO many line
men. too many inspectors. too many
clerks or too many employees of any other
class and l also assert without fear of
successful contradiction. that il does not
pay excessive wages. nor has il any lore
officers than necessary. nor does il pay
eEtravagant salaries. II is prep0SteTous
TO suppose that the company would pay
more wages and salaries than The service
rendered IS fairly worth and | believe I
know enough Of the people of the District
OF Columbia to Justify me in saying that
IHey would not want q telephone service
che2pened by paying inadequate COmpcn-
Ross would not ask it, or l misjudge him.
He has had before him for many months
the exact number Of employees and officers
of the Chesapeake and Potomac Company.
and the wages and salaries paid to each
! should be much interested and the pub
lie would be much enlightened if he
would indicate which or wha- number of
these employees should be dispensed vi h
and which of them. or what class of them
are excessively paid I shall await any
information he can give in this regard
with interest. and possibly with profit TO
the public. When he has had experience,
or even observation. of the cost of supply
ing telephone service OF the character he
mentions in his letter. he will find that he
has been a victim of misplaced confidence
and will be sadder and wiser man
Not the Company's Fault.
Taking leave of Mr.. Ross and his cir
cUlar letter. I lake occasion to say TO the
public that. for the purpose of improving
the service, and of bringing into use The
very best and most approved appliances.
and 10 enable the company to reduce
mileage and other rates. the branch ex-
change on Capitol Hill was erected and
equipped Through no fault Of the com
pany. there was delay IN the delivery Of
the electrical equipment. and the changes
That should have been made in the au-
tumn were delayed until about the holt
day season, when the use of the tele-
phone is the largest Such changes in
volye the connections of thousands of
wires and the bringing into use of new ap-
planes with which the operators are not
familiar. necessarily producing DELAYS and
confusion. I beg 10 assure subscribers
that every effort is being made TO correct
these troubles, and that in a few days
they viii have d service not inferior to
any anywhere; and in this connection
have further TO say that the putting in
operation OF the new branch exchange on
Capitol Hill has made IL necessary for
telephone users. IN making their calls 10
indicate the exchange with which the per
son called is connected by the DrefKeS
main and east and if persons, in call
ing Tor numbers before n =nJiOHing Inc
number VIII say main or east as the
case may be. many delays that now occur
VIII be avoided for unless this IS dome
the operator at the switchboard must
either enquire whether il is main or
east that is wanted, or herself asceT-
tain the exchange in which the number
called FOR is located by referring 10 the
chief operator which necessarily pIo-
duces delay. and which delay may he
avoided by simply telling her when max
ing the call that 1t is main or east
that is desired J N WILSON.
president Chesapeake and Potomac TeIe-
phone COMPANY
Washington, D c. Jan 1. 1901.