Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-24
An Old, Old Story to Tele'
phone Users.
CITIZENS COMPLAIN
NOT INCLINED TO HAVE THEIR
NAMES USED.
Some Of tho Experiences Of People-The
Night Service Is Also
Very Poor.

Of Washington who use telephones are
thankful that there has been started
campaign that may result in q betterment
of the service"
This statement was made by a man who
pays for four telephones in the condoct Of
his business.
why don't you use his Manner asks
representative of the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company.
No one knows better than he why the
name Of the man who made this statement
Is not made public.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company has a number of employees who
are patrons of business houses in Wash
ington. They have to live. 1t Is necessary
that they buy provisions. Perchance, they
may. in the course of things, need the
services of a physician. They may want to
are the needs Of persons who are employed
by the telephone company, and their trade
enters into the trade of the persons who
are compelled to use telephone service
Business men of Washington who nave
been given a telephone service that is not
satisfactory are content to register their
complaints in private. Many Of them most
naturally feel that they may be victim
of boycott il they give vent to righteous
Indignation. and their complaints find their
way into The Evening Star over their own
names. But they are reaching the point
where they are willing to step beyond these
bounds.
For four days now The Evening Star has
sent representatives to interview business
men. housewives and others who pay for
service that Is anything but adequate.
1t takes time to mold public sentiment.
1t is significant, however. that not single
person has yet been found who is willing
to say that the telephone company has
shown any disposition to better the present
ms Of Sor1-iPa that fS tO he found
in Washington.
There has been an awakening IN Wash
tngton as the result Of the campaign now
being waged by The Evening Star that
gives every suggestion that the service may
be improved.
The Evening Star last night endeavored
to show by figures that the people Of Bal
tlmcre are getting better returns for the
money than the people Of the national cap
ital getting. while the congestion COIN
planned of by the representatives OF the
company must be greater IN The former
city.
This condition Is denied by the representa-
tves of the company, yet persons who live
In Baltimore and often have occasion to use
the service here declare that 1t costs them
more in Washington than 1t does in their
home city.
The people of the national capital some
years ago did try to wage campaign in the
interest of better rates-rates commensurate
with the business done here when compared
with other cities.
The patrons here organized an assocfa-
ton in the interest of lower rates. The mat
ter was brought to the attention of Con-
gress, but no satisfactory results were &C
complished.
Everything went on in the same old way.
Instead of lettering the service at the rates
that cannot be considered at anything other
than usurious the company has permitted
the service to deteriorate until now there Is
a universal desire on the part OF every per-
son who has occasion to use a telephone to
hot chm hn Nod
satisfactory, as is given to the patrons Of
telephone companies in other cities.
The people of Washington are right in
their demands, II what is learned by repre-
sentatiyes of The Evening Star Is true.
The Evening Star has no other desire
than to urge that the Chesapeake and Po-
tolnac Company deal with its patrons here
in Washington with honesty and fairness.
and in this it is backed up by the whole
community without a single dissenting
voice.
The Night Service.
THAT the service melted out by the Ches-
apeake and Potomac company to its pa
irons Is insufficient and unsatisfactory is
evidenced not only during the day, but in
the night said business man who dur
ing the last few days has been designated
by the company as in the category Of
'kickers."
cat times during the night" this Kicker
continued. "it is almost next to impossible
to get any satisfaction from the main ex-
change
This condition, which Is blamed on the
operators. Is occasioned by the employment
of young persons in the offices. These
operators, for that Is the name given them
are not able to handle the business, and
therefore they naturally resort to the
stereotyped old expression which makes US
all so mad
1.-The line IS busy .--' '--
1.-The caller on the telephone can gen.
orally tell whether or not the line is really
busy by simply listening attentively to the
operator after she has gotten the number
wanted, as there is a sort of a buzzing
sound given as the test
ION the branch exchanges this busy test
is the same, and 1t has been noted that, on
a number of occasions the operator has re-
ported the line as busy without giving or
receiving this test.
LAS one used to the telephone service.
have often noticed that, in calling GER
tain number in the book, 1t has been re-
ported busy when l did not hear the test
that l have noted. After calling this knowl-
edge of things to the attention of the ope-
rator, / had no trouble In getting the per-
son to whom 1 desired to talk.
"At times / have found 1t necessary to
call the chief operator in order to get a
number and l have found invariably under
such conditions that the connection desired
was almost Immediately forthcoming"
Service Demanded.
These and other facts of interest were
learned today when a reporter for The
Evening Star visited business house
where the telephone is In use constantly
in the early hours of the day. 1t would go
to show that the trouble Is not confined to
the real busy hours of the day. but con-
tinues into the night, when business houses
are closed, and when IL would seem that
fairly satisfactory service might be ex-
pected.
And 1t should be known that the COM
plants that come to The Evening Star do
not apply entirely to the long distance tel
ephone service.
For months there has been all kinds of
trouble experienced by persons who have
occasion to use the hong distance service
between here and New York or PhiladeI-
phia.
Il was three hours trying to reach the
Office of Philadelphia business man a few
days ago." said Washingtonfon today
"It meant this, that I could have gone to
Philadelphia on train In the same time
that was trying to mako telephone con-
nection there"
And so 1t goes.
The campaign for an adequate telephone
service at the national capital is being con-
Quoted in earnest The people of Wash