Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-22
MANY REGISTER KICKS
Telephone Service Declared
to Be Inadequate.
SHOULD BE IMPROVED
EXPLANATION GIVEN BY COM
PANY OFFICIAL.
Evening Stars Campaign Welcomed bH
the Business Men Of the Ma
tional Capital.

tory, did a good thing when 1t called 1T.
tention to the 'beastly service that Is given
by the telephone company" said the frs<
business man interviewed this morning.
L have called the company's attention to
the inadequate service. and that is all that
ever came of it." he continued
But did you ever talk with an official oe
Inc company when you were dissatisfied2"
was asked
i have asked for the manager"
Did you reach him?"
IF l did the manager Ia a woman for a
feminine voice has always explained that
every effort was being made to give me the
connections desired, and with the usual
result
What is that?'
Waiting indefinitely and usually giving
up in despair
So 1t went throughout the day. Fully
fifty men who pay the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company the rates de-.
manded for a satisfactory service were in
terV1eWed by representatives of The Even
ing Star. Not a single person could be
found who would say that the service was
satisfactory.
May quote your was asked of a bust
ness man who has a telephone in a build
ing that can be looked into almost from
the omces OF the telephone company.
Might Injure Business.
me. but have several customers who are
employed by the Chesa peake and Potomac
Company. and if were to say anything it
might, likely would, injure my business.
But you are certainly doing a good thing
for Washington when you call attention to
the inadequate service"
In every place. without single excep-
ton, visited by representatives OF The
Evening Star today, the story that was
printed last evening had been seen. In
two places visited the clipping from last
evenings Star was pasted up on the wall.
Five tests were made this morning.
In as many different places arrangements
were made to call up person who, by the
nature of his business avocation, would
hardly be busy.
In one instance the person who made the
call was told that the line was busy
Six minutes. by actual count of watch.
passed by and similar call uy the samo
person for the same connection was asked.
''The line is still busy" came the reply
This was from the central Office, too, at
14th and G streets. where a bette" service
might be expected If at all, than from any
Of the branches.
Disclosure Made by Messenger.
By actual count eleven more minutes
went by, and the central exchange was
rung up again. and with the same result.
Then messenger was dispatched to the
place that was trying to be reached by
which asked if the telephone had been con-
stantly busy.
The messenger carried back the message
that the telephone bell had not been sound
ed during the time indicated in the request
for information.
That was only one instance The four
others were equally inefficacious.
THE line is busy" was the answer that
came to the person who was anxious to get
a. service from telephone system that he
is paying in advance for and at rates that
are higher by not a few dollars than are
charged in other cities.
Company officers Interviewed.
When an Evening Star representative
called at the general offices of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac company this fore
noon he was told that the general
manager and the treasurer would be over
from New York and Baltimore, respect
lively, shortly after II O'Clock Mr.. f. H.
Madhurst, superintendent of traffic, who
makes MS headquarters it Baltimore, was
al the offices when the reporter returned.
1t was explained to him that the people
of Washington who are compelled to pay
their money for a telephone service were
dissatisfied, and that many of their kicks
had come to the editor of The Evening
Star
Mr.. Madhurst said he realized that the
service was not what it ought to be. but
this due to congestion that would
take some time to remedy.
Our company is using every device to
improve the service and to give to the
public a Just return for what they are
paying" Mr.. Madhurst said.
"Our operators, 1 freely admit, are actu-
ally doing at least 33 per cent more than
they would be asked to do if there was
more room to use an additional force All
Of this is due to an unavoidable congestion.
There is lack Of exchange facilities.
Partially Remedied.
This has been remedied partially by the
opening of the new exchange at 14th and
r streets northwest. The opening of that
new exchange should insure a first-clasB
service in the territory north of l. street
1.-The conditions in the main office are
far from what we could wish they might be.
But they are better. nevertheless. than they
were prior to the opening Of the north
exchange.
"It Is the purpose of the company to open
a new main exchange in 18th street be-
tween and H streets northwest, about
May 1. This exchange will be equipped with
the most elaborate appointments known 70
telephony The congestion of traffic will be
relieved and our patrons will have stand
ard service, which aim to give.
Until that time the service will not be
as good as we would like to give our pa
present we are working with old-time
sWitchboards. We haven't the labor-savtng
devices that shall have and the abnor-
NAL conditions have caused the dlssausfac-
tion."
The Cause Of Complaint.
s'That is just what we are complaining
about" said a business man who was told
what Mr.. Madhurst had said. 1T Is
shame that the city of Washington, the
capital Of the United States, should be
buffeted about with an old-time, out-of-
date switchboard system Of telephoning,
when other cities of even smaller populations
are given an excellent service, and for less
money.
when you suggest to the Chesapeake
and Potomac company the fairness Of put
ting in telephones at rates that obtain In
other cities you are met with the reply by
their agents that 1t cannot be done other
than at q loss
'It is really interesting to note that the
Chesapeake company continues to maintain
its business in Washington, and that only
when the subscribers and patrons, who
make 1t possible for the company to pa1