Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-11
VIEWS OF THE USERS
Dispute Claim Regarding Tel
ephone Measured Service.
SOME cEs
SAID TO bosE MORE THAN FLAT
oRAAsH4E SYSTEM
Annoying Instructions, Which Enhance
Expense to Those Who Use
the Telephones.
SOM tx PERIENCEs

The experience Of telephone users does
not bear out the claim of the company in
this city that the present or measured sys-
tenn is cheaper than the old fiat rate. That
Is what Star reporter learned after spend
ing some time today in chatting with sew
eral telephone subscribers. If time had per-
mitted and the visits could have been ex-
tended there is no question that the testi
mony could have been greatly increased.
One telephone user. when questioned in
regard to the matter, said he did not have
the measured service and was still paying
$50 much a year" He knew that he was
paying less money for the service than he
would If he were on the list of the measur-
ed subscribers.
How do / know this?" he observed
wen, l don't from actual experience. for
I have never tried the measured service
But let me ask why the company shows
50 much anxiety to have me make the
Change and give up the fiat rate service?
Its representatives have called to see me
frequently for the purpose of inducing me to
make the change. They have attempted to
show me that it would be for my benefit
But why should the company want to ben
eht me at their expense and supply a service
FOR less money than they are now getting?
'Ihere Is another consideration along
this same line that is ciincher, to my
mind. and that Is the telephone book which
Is issued by the company for the use of
the subscribers. On almost every page of
that book Is an advertisement of the meas
ured service. You come across such sem
fences as these: Fairness of message rate
and Message rates make the cost very
low 1t Is evident the company wants the
measured service, and it is also evident that
it is an advantage to it. Hence l stick to
the fiat rate service, and am confident l am
making money"
Views of Another Subscriber.
Another subscriber finds that he is now
paying more since he changed to the meas
ured service than he did when he paid a
fiat rate for the year. Last year he paid
800 for the use of his telephone. He had
what is known as an unlimited service-that
is. he could use5tle telephone as much as
he had occasion to employ it. Last Oc-
tober he toofe" thH measured service and
agreed to pay s73da year, which allowed
MN TO send 'tyOG6 messages. Additional SER
vice over and be.iond that limit he agreed
to pay for at the trate Of So per hundred
messages.
. He now finds that at the present rate of
charges he WEI pay more for his telephone
service this year than he did last and yet
will have onlyIa limited service He recog-
nizes that he has made bad bargain.
one cause of complaint that this sub
scriber, as we'll as others, allege is the prac-
tice of the company in practically making
two charges Tor a single message. For ex-
ample. if a call is made and the person de-
sired is not ia his office and a message is
left desiring him to call up the number
when he returns. q charge is made for the
call, and when in response to the request
the other partysasks what is wanted he is
obliged to pay for that call also.
The injustice of rthe. latter charge the
subscribers say. lies in the fact that a per-
son is obliged to pay for attending to the
business of another. A charge Is made
when, in response to call, the answer
comes in that the wire is busy, and this is
also done when lit Is found that the per-
son called is out. Some Of these regula-
tons are new and in the nature of re-
strictions upon the use of the phone, 1t is
claimed. and tend to add to the cost under
the measured service.