The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-07
new PHONERATES
b. Z. Pankey Announces What
They Will Be.
Business Houses TO Pay $50
Residences $40.
SAME AS THE OLD.
New Company Schedule No Low
er Than the Bell.
All Subscribers Will, However,
Have Metallic Circuits.

The Independent Telephone company
today announced the schedule of rates
that will be charged for telephones
connected with the exchange of that
company. They are:
For business houses, $36 per year.
For residences, $50 per year.
Party lines of three or more, SIS per
year each.
The announcement of the rates to be
charged by the Independent Telephone
company carries with it disappoint-
ment to many who have anticipated a
fight being inaugurated by the new tel
ephone company on the old company by
means of rate cutting.
In view of the fact that our Serv-
ice will be much superior to that Of
most cities" said B. F. Pankey to a
reporter for the State Journal today,
land in fact is not surpassed by any
telephone service in any city in the
world, we cannot afford to install tele-
phones for a sum less than that an
nOunced."
Beginning with next week the work
of placing the telephones in theAhouses
of the subscribers to the new line will
begin, and by January 1 over 300 tele-
phones will be in actual service in To-
peka on the exchange of the new COM
pany.
for telephones, voluntary applications,
too" said Mr.. Pankey. I'VE are unable
to put telephones up for all of the ap-
p1cantS before the frSt OF the year Tor
the reason that we unable to get all
the material here and get it put up in
that time.
Our men have been as busy as pos
Sible, and yet we have only five
cables up with a capacity of so tele-
phones to each cable. Other cables will
be put up as fast as possible, however.
and the remaining number of appli-
cants for phones will be served"
Every phone put up by the Independ-
ent Telephone company will be prac-
tically long distance telephone Eacn
phone will have a metallic circuit; that
means two wires leading all the way
from the central office to the telephone
to make the complete circuit, instead
of depending on a ground circuit, the
system now in vogue. A ground circuit
is where only one wire leads from the
central office to the telephone, and the
circuit is completed by running a wire
from the telephone to the ground out
side the house. The system is consid-
cred very unsatisfactory.
All the wire used in the erection of
lines throughout the city will be cop
per. No iron wire. the kind always
used, except for long distance phones
until recently, will be used in any man
ner by the new company.
A reporter for the State journal was
shown about the exchange office of the
new company by Mr.. Pankey. The
workings of the exchange board We're
carefully explained in detail.
You see,'' said Mr.. Pankey, going to
a telephone that hung on the wall,
there is no crank on our telephone
for the subscriber to use in calling cen
trail By simply lifting the receiver to
place it to your ear notifies central that
you want to call a number"
Then Mr.. Pankey pointed to a little
light that burned in the switchboard
directly over the number of the tele-
phone he had taken the receiver from.
THAT light is turned on or off by tax
ing the receiver off the hook or re-
placing it," he said.
he 1irh+ I1r,- oiy,or
at any number she first asks what
number the subscriber wishes to be
connected with. Then when the plugs
are placed in position to connect the
two phones, two lights burn in the
switchboard opposite the plugs. The
lights burn as long as the parties are
talking By hanging up the receivers at
both ends of the line. the lights are
caused to cease burning and central is
thereby notified that the parties are
through talking The hanging up of the
receiver is an equivalent to ringing off
under the common system.
There are never any crossed wires
to trouble patrons of our exchange"
continued Mr.. Pankey. Everyone may
rest assured that their conversation
cannot be heard by other parties by
can hear anyone else. OF course every
one may hear each other on party lines,
but we have an added advantage for
subscribers to party lines. The sub
scriber never rings a bell to call cen
trail only lifts the receiver from the
hook That action is recorded only in
the central office and does not notify
other subscribers the line. Thus
they are unaware the line is in use un-
less some one on the line is being called.
When one party is using the line, an
other party cannot 'cut-in. -