The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1901-02-21
THURSDAY, II,
PUBLIC PHONES
A Tale of Two TelephOnes-An Exper-
ience Of Our Own Government at
WashingtOn-Publi Ownership W.
Private Monopoly.

In 1895 the department of the in
terror put in It's own phones and the
cost Of operation and repairs is only
$6.43 per phone, with $3.50 for interest
and depreciation, making a total of
to cost SIS under the Bell regime, and
$1025 per phone per year for what used
the service is in every way better and
more satisfactory. In 1894 and prior
thereto. the department of the interior
paid the Bell telephone in Washington
$50 to $125 each for IS telephones and
employed a lady to attend the main
exchange at 5000 year, making the
total average cost of $75 per phone
year. The cost under private ownership
was seven times greater than it is now
under public ownership
Stockholm, Sweden, with 100000 pop
ulation, Las municipal ownership and
the average cost Of a phone is 800 per
year, with metallic circuit, underground
wires free interurban communication
within radius of 43 miles. Used to be
afflicted with Bell monopoly, which
was dispossessed by the government in
1884. The cost under the Bell monopoly
was $44 average per phone, with over
head wires and inferior service.
Brussels, Belgium, with $4,000 popu-
lation, about the same as st. Louis en-
| joys municipal ownership. with metallic
circuit, underground wires, free inter
| urban communication, ETC. Average
| charge, 500 per year. Used to be af-
! flicted with a Bell monopoly that charg-
ed $50 per year for inferior service. It
company, with the result of large in
| crease Of cost to the subscribers it
then resorted to municipal ownership
with complete success.
In France the government took pos
session of the telephone lines in 1889
and reduced the rates at once from 80
| to 100 per cent for vastly superior
service-average charge $40 per year
per phone.
In Switzerland they have had govern
ment ownership from the start. The re-
suit has been a splendid system, one
Of the finest in the world; total average
rate being SIS per year per phone
! In Sweden there are 160 cooperative
| telephone exchanges. The charges are
| frequently as low as $6 to SO, the aver
| age being as low as $40 for very SUI
perior service.
! In the United States there are few CO.
operative telephone exchanges, which
show what can be done by the elimina-
tion OF private profit and monopoly. In
Fort Scott, Kan, the members of the
mutual company pay 81 per month per
phone. At Grand Rapids, Wis, the Bell
monopoly used to charge $36 for resi-
dence and $4S fer business per year A
cooperative company succeeded in dis
lodging the monopoly and the cost is
now SO cents per month for residence
and $1.75 per month for business and q
better and more satisfactory service
The ordinary charges of the Bell
monopoly for towns are $24 to $36 for
residences and s4S to SIS for business
places. For large cities the usual rates
| are $50 to $24O for business
With municipal ownership or CO.
operative associations, we could have
excellent telephone service at less than
half these rates-50 cents to 81 per
month for small exchanges and 81 to 81
per month in large cities.