Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
LOWERS ITS RATES
Central Union Makes opening
Move Against lndepend-
ent Company.
ON RESIDENCE PHONES Only
Private Line and Tri-City Service
for $3.50 Per
Month.

The first sign of recognition that
the Central Union Telephone company
has given the Union Electric Tele-
phone & Telegraph company, since
the latter began doing business in the
city, comes in the form of an an
nouncement by Manager f. j. Rich
ards of Il substantial reduction in
rates on first class residence phones
and an extension of privileges on the
Blake sets, or those with the trans
mitters set in small square boxes.
This action on the part of the old
er company has been forced to meet
the rates that the new company has
made for the same sort of service and
the offer of free exchange through
out the tri-cities to all subscribers. 1t
Will serve to put the two on some
where near an equal footing in the
matter, and does not necessarily por-
tend rate war. The cut applies to
residence service, where the new COM
pany has so far made the greatest in
roads, and in allowing the extension
of exchange privileges the Central
Union company is bracing to meet the
shock by specifying that year con-
The reduction is made on the class
of service at present costing $3.50
per month. and it is reduced to $3.50
per month. The two party line sub
scribers can have for the rate now
paid tri-city service and separate
lines. The subscribers having the
Blake sets can have them replaced
with the straight back Instruments
with tri-city service, provided con-
tract is entered into for year.
The strong point in favor of the old
company in the bid for patronage is
its long distance service, and this will
probably have much weight with
business men. The old company has
also an advantage in having placed in
many of the large establishments in
the city separate systems that the
new company will find it very hard to
displace, and SO far no arrangements
have been made by which both sys-
TENS can be connected with these of
fee exchanges.
The Central Union company is now
negotiating a deal with the Rock ISL
and road for the installatio of a
separate system in the new offices in
this city connecting with the different
in this city and in Mo
line, Naticl<sand Davenport. This, If
put in operation, will be quite an ex-
tensive affair.
Today new lines to Rock Island ar
senal were tested by the Central
Union company's force. Heretofore
the company had but one line to the
island, and that was Il three-party af-
fair. There have now been installed
four separate lines with four instru-
ments, one of them being placed at
the golf club.
The numbers of the Rock Island ar
senaI telephones are: Office, west
1.149; Rock Island bridge, west 1864;
Maj. Blunt. west 1866; golf club, west
1 $50.
Physicians Find Disadvantages.
\ number of Rock Island physicians
met last evening at the Harper house
for the purpose of discussing. it is
given out, the telephone question.
The members of the profession feel
that not only the financial burden
imposed by having, as is in most cases
necessary, two telephones in the of
fee and in the residence also, but the
of answering calls on
the different Instruments form such
features that it is high
~ desirable that some remedial meas
ures be taken. The meeting was call
ed by some of the physicians most
impressed with the matter. After a
of some length commit |
tee was appointed to pursue an in
vestigation with view of ascertain