St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-14
WANTS SLIDING SCALE.
Maryland Telephone Go. Says Present
Rates Are Too Low.

land Telephone Company to extend us
lines in territory not covered by the city
ducts for the leasing to other parties ofthe
snace in the ducts not taken up by the
COMPANY and releasing the latter rom
the nrovisiOn in the ordinance under
which it conducts business, whereby lt'S
prohibited from charging more man pro
TOR a business telephone and S3o Tor
residence telephone, was introduce III
The First Branch OF the City Cour Gu last
night by Mr.. Dieter: =. D.a;
In exclamation of the ordinance rresi'
dent Bouton, of the company, had luis
to say: -.o1hu
"When the ordinance was accepted by
the Home Telephone and Telegraph Com
panv, the predecessor OF the present com.
pany II ere were in service in the city OF
| Baltimore. after about % years OF the
oneration of the Bell Telephone Com
narv, about z, 900 telephones. Provision
was made bv the Maryland Telephone
Company for plant to ACCOMMODATE
5 900 telephones. This, it was thought
would be sufficient to take care OF the
business for a grta: number OF yealS'
The demand for telephones, however, has
been so great that the Mary land lele-
nhone and Telegraph Company has now
in the neighborhood of 1000 telephones
in service. ,..... h.,
1T has been found that, contrary to
almost all Other kinds of business, the
onerating expenses per telephone increase |
+ with he number Of telephones in service,
for the reason that, as the number OF
telephones increases the amount OF use
to which each telephone can be put Is
cor,esnoudinely extended, so that the
oneratinq expenses per telephone OF the
u MARYLAND Telephone and Telegraph
u Companv's Baltimore plant are more
II than twice as much as those owned by
;, the same company in exchanges located
= in smaller towns. The investment per
i telpnhone is also increased, for the reason
' that greater numbers OF trunk lines o.
- tween the exchanges are needed ana 'he
construction of the switchboards IS much
more elaborate and expensive. MS III
creased cost of investment means MOI
rs only additional interest charges but IN
creased maintenance, an item OF very
GO LARGE expense in The telephone business
II, SERVICE AT LESS THAN COST,
~ Gone If the reasons why the cost OF OPP
v eration is expensive in large city IS tue
I'd enormous service to which the busy teie-
s. nhones are put, such as those located IL,
st. exn.ess and railroad offices, banks anu
m, LARGE business houses. Many OF such teie-
I'd. nhones average so calls per day, or the
nd enormous total of Is, 900 calls per an
rrm Under the present ordinance not
'st. more than S48 can be charged tor suel
teephones, making an average III many
an casts of less than one. third OF a cent
18th Iii This is far less than the cost OF hi
net service ,o
the tThe company wishes to put in prac
flee A plan whereby the telephones WING
OF are used but little can be graded down T.
it a very small cost There are many sma
rip dealers to whom the telephone noW,s
OF DAYS has become necessity, out WIN
cannot afford to pay, and ought not I
sat compelled to pay as much tor 1t as |,
1rs- laroe institutions which use their tel
Try nhones constantly. The ordinance, as
lIus Stands however, would not only preVef
the company from carrying out this Pla
IRE, hrt would likely make it necessary Tor
rm- 70 abolish some OF its present low serVi
to rates. 1t cannot do business at 10
and unless it is permitted to charge
lght tair price, based somewhat upon u
Her amount of use to which teI
rves nhone is put, it will be prevented tro
l or Owing the low which it could IN IN
give case afford to give to the small trade
man who uses his telephone but HUE
eng BURDEN ON THE MARYLAND,
= 5 o..t "under the conditions existing in b
u ~ +;,,,ore the number of calls per teepho
! 1ue ~ which the instruments of the MAJ
~ h., land telephore and telegraph compa
i - are mt is largely in excess oil that OF a
H., other company in the country with
!, ~, IKE number of telephones. The reas
u - for.;his is that a very large and mere
,nJN =, mo number of business houses and r
~ i dences using both telephones have
100 measured service contract for their
'00'' telenhore and an unlimited service c
tract for their Maryland telephone
onsul in consequence of this place the Dur
home Of their telephone service, as tar as
letter sible on the Maryland teleph'
t the "TEe enormous increase in the ser
i've OF demand is shown by the fact that
5 this Novemher 1901, when the Maryl
Is fol- comnany had 1851 phones III nse'
,nag.connt' showed rs $50 calls Tor
: the daV on which the count was taken.
IN the March. 1902, there were 6,o2Z ph'
)ward in use. an increase OF 10 percent, WI
Every as the calls had reached 923o9' Oh
taken increase of 81 per cent. one n'
estroy later, /. e., in the month OF April l
Mount there being then 67l8 TELEPHONE
,e and service, an increase of 3 per cent
Illus of March, the 'peg,count' showed 100
s the calls an increase over March in cal
md inn over s Der cent. Since last Move
lowing the increase in the number OF telep,f
has been IS per cent, where as th
up to crease in the number of calls has bee
bad on ner cent. 1t now averages abou
natives calls per telephone per day, ana d
t mo- present rate OF increase Will soon
Whicn exceed this.
III with ,,,,>,rc CT TIMING SCALE.
~ +,o+ "The condition. therefore, Wd!cf
,re was faces the company IS whether IL
~ won't restrict the service to its present
u ronort and endeavor to increase its reVthu
Il 'I KID disseminating some of it's low pre-
~ throw , vice. or, by getting permission TO Ia Ia
WI o own its rates so that they will be alrl7
90 p l nortionate, prepare for a great
'lv o o,,d iarged business and provide tacili'
U.s. I.,,, '' WYE the small tradesman by estabhshln
E G,.a ord phones lowereven than their presei
force. est rates. ..,,,,,
shes and ne lhtele''o u t,e,o emma,