The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-11-14
UNION, s. c. NOVEMBER IA, 1902.
THE BELL REDUCES RATES.

Inc Belt Telephone SOWpaNy mas
bought out Mr.. l.. w. Floyd's tele-
phone business iocudirg Uoiou,
Spartanburg, Greenvjlle, Prosperity
and Clinton, While Mr.. Centres,
one Of Tie Bell Telephone officia's,
has bought the Newberrv e':chs"Ge
from Mr.. Floyd, Of which Mr.. Floyd
will still retain the maoaremeut.
The local exchange will cocroue to
be operated ia Ucion for some time
for the accommodation Of those who
have that phone ard not the Bel.
Should they wish the Bell phone, the
old phone will be taken out aud
Bell phone installed instead. Those
who keep both phones will be expect
ed, Of course, to pay for both phones.
The Bell will soon install another
Switch DO ird in central Office to ac-
commodate Que hundred subscribers
and from the way new contracts are
being written, it will be unnecessary
to have two phones, as the whole
town will be covered by the Bell
phones. The business men will then
be relieved Of the tax Of keeping two
telephones. And if the Bell people
continue to furnish the excellent ser
vice, both local and long distance,
that they have so far, and there is no
fo In,,ht fhara will ha 1ittla
inclination upon the part Of the bu~i-
ness men to establish an opposition
line. They have had gracious suf-
ticjercy Of the burning, bu.liug
phones which allowed you to hear
dozen people talkiog at once and you
had to get your words in edgewise as
it were, not knowing who all were
listening. Every word over the Bell
is as clear as bell and you know it
is private. We would not care to
uGdertake the job of rebuilding the
opposition.
We have heard some talk to the
effect that now the Bell 1'elephope
people have bought out the opposi-
tion we may look out FOR higher
rate to be charged for the ser 5ce.
But in direct contradiction to this
TIE RA.Es BAvE BEEN LOWERED.
Mr.. p, j. Nix, the atfable and cour-
teous book-keeper for per;rtendent
Spier, in Charlotte, was in Unio,
Monday looking after the Interest Of
the business. He called at tt E
TINEs Office and spent half an hour
very pleasantly with the editor. In
speaking Of the change, he said thai
instead Of the rates beirg raised by
the Bell peop'e, they had been lower
ed on the business phones. That
this arrangement had been perfected
to take effect Nov. 1st-and it bad
been done before the local company
had sold out. I'hey were, thele;c. e,
not p'ayicg to the gallery, as it were,
but had, after mature delibecation,
decided that the business rate for
town Of the size of Union was some
what excessive, and had determ ned
to reduce it from $3.50 to $3 90, max
ing voluntary reduction Of Sc. 90 per
annum to every business house usiug
the Bell phone. He said this late
was DOW established, aud there was
not the slightest probability Of it be-
ing raised for years TO come, and
never until Uoion grew into city.
That the rates in cities were higher
because it cost more pro rata to oper-
ate an exchange Of say 500 subscrib-
ers, than 100 or 200 Notwithstanding the
fact that in the majority OF other
case the reverse is the case.
We asked what about the prob
ability Of the Bell eiv;ng US oct Of
town lines to the moe impol AND Of
our suburban villages, such as Cross
Keys, Sedalia, West Springs, Carlisle
and Santuc. He said they were now
figuring on this very thing. That
the line was now being built TO Lock.
hart Mills, and that subscribers be-
tween here and Lockhart Junction