Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-03
Chicago and Dstr'it Fighting Increase,
Tells fer Tsl'pASHsL
COST OF PLANT OF 10000 PHONES
Test of wireless TeleRrRphy and
Telephony ut Home and Abroad
advance In Electrical
storage Batteries.

the consolidated company In most Instances
now exceeds the cost OF double service
under former conditions, and makes the
patrons Of the company groan in wrathful
tones. The Merchants and Manufacturers
exchange started an investigation to find
some means OF relief, and the result OF
the inquiry was made public recently. Ac-
cording to the report the only remedy for
extortlon is the establishment OF a CO.
operative telephone system. the cost OF
which is placed at ST. 00, 900. An instructive
feature Of the report is the estimated cost
Of a telephone plant for 10000 subscribers,
as follows:
In direct opposition to the enormous cost
Of construction. nearly $4,000, 900 claimed
by the Michigan Telephone company for its
exchange Of about II, 900 phones, and of the
Peoples Telephone company. of 81. $50. 900
for an exchange OF 5000 phones, we have
the estimate OF reliable construction firms
who would be glad to put in an exchange
OF 1900 phones for the following cost:
One main exchange, 5000 instruments.
$21s, 2oS.7 rs.
Five sub-exchanges. 1000 instruments
each, $3Os, s26.
Outside construction, s474, $780, 20.
Total, $997.6 ESQ., 5.
This sum does not include cost OF out
side construction, poles, conduits. etc. For
this an addition will have to be made Of
800, 900.
Thus we have a grand total Of 81, 100, 900
for a modern, up-to-date telephone ex-
change of 10, 0e0 subscribers.
Rates to the subscriber would be about
$40 for the house and $40 for business
phones.
Municipal ownership being impossible
without legislative action the committee
recommended the cooperative or quasi
municipal ownership and operation, with
municipal ownership in view.
Excessive Toll. in Chicago.
obtained permission to do business 1t was
stipulated in the franchise that the rate
for unrestricted telephone service should
not exceed s12- per annum. Within the
last two years r4tes have been raised grad
ually until the present annual charge is
SITS. Opposition to the tolls finally united
In an appeal to the courts and scored a
signal victory In the first round. In grant
Ing a preliminary Injunction against the
telephone company Judge Tuley said: when
a subscriber cannot obtain satisfactory
service except by entering into q contract
by which he agrees to pay a greater rate
than that fixed by the ordinance, the rate
agreed to be paid, 30 far as 1t is In excess
of the rate prescribed by the ordinance,
must be held to be an Illegal exaction, and
not only illegal but forced: a forced agree
men by the company exacted of the sub
scriber and not a voluntary contract which
would estop him from disputing the same"
One OF the most significant expressions OF
the court. In the estimation Of lawyers, 10
that which refers to a decision Of the Iowa
supreme court, pointing out the way by
which subscribers Of the Chicago Telephone
company may, IL they see At, bring action
to recover the money they have paid in ex-
cess Of the charges fixed by the ordinance.
On this subject Judge Tuley said: "In
the language of the Iowa supreme court,
where q public service corporation exacts
greater charges than are authorized by the
law, the payment Of such charges Is not
regarded as voluntary, nor Is the making
Of any protest or objection necessary in
order to recover back the excessive
charges"
Wireless TeIeErAphy and Telephony.
Since the first of che year tests Of wire
less telegraphy and telephony have been
made by other electricians than Marconi,
one in Paris and the other in Kentucky.
4 II experiment IN EaTlH Win Telephone
apparatus is thus described: "Ducretet's
residence is situated on the Rue Claude
Bernard, over the catacombs. One tele.
phonic apparatus had been arranged at the
end OF his laboratories, the extremity OF
that wire being laid in the ground at q
little distance from the surface. About
thirty yards from this spot was the end of
the other wire, which had been attached ia
another apparatus. Although, of course, no
suspicion Of any trlckery could exist, Du-
c~retet's visitors, at his urgent request, In
spected the extremities Of the two wires
and thoroughly convinced themselves that
they were separated by the entire length
of the laboratories, with, moreover, thick
walls and closed doors intervening. Yet
under these decidedly adverse conditions,
they we're able to converse even in q low
voice without the slightest dificulty. Tit
conversation was not impeded by any oi
those disagreeable noises which usually
distract people speaking through ordinary
telephones. This was all the more re-
markable owing to the fact that the ex-
tremity Of one OF these wires was about
forty-nve feet higher than the end OF the
other. Ducretet intends to carry on hiI
experiments with energy, increase the dis
lance and study the conditions Of trans
mission through dinerent SOILS. he MOD
estly regards his present success merely
as the first step in this direction"
Nathan stubbleneld Of Murray, KY, an
electrician OF considerable prominence
gave a public demonstration OF his recent
invention Of wireless telephone at his home
town. He established several stations
throughout the business section Of the town
and sent and received messages without
wires. The apparatus he used was Of hiI
own make with the exception OF the re-
delivers, which are similar to the ones used
on ordinary phones.
Hundreds Of people took advantage OF the
opportunity offered and were ~astounded at
the remarkable success achieved by Mr..
stubbleheld. The inventor has so perfected
his method as to send messages one mile
and says he will be able to send and re,
ceive messages any distance. Mr.. stubble-
field expects to zee his invention adopted
throughout the world within a short while
He says that the cost OF establishing
system with his apparatus will be a mer'
tribe as compared with the cost Of the
system now In use.
The Storage BATTERY.