The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-10
COMPLAIN OF PHONE SERVICE.
Hon. T.. A. Woodland in Raleigh to
Ask Commission to Remedy
Wilson Troubles.

Hon. T. A. Woodland, of Wilson, was
here yesterday to present to the cor
pOratiOn commission complaint
against the Carolina Telephone and
Telegraph Company, Of Wilson, ask
ing that the commission take steps to
insure better service and reduce the
rates charged by such company.
In making the complaint, Mr.. Wood
ard is acting as the attorney Of q
number of business men of Wilson,
who feel that they are neither given
the service nor the rates to which they
are entitled in the matter of telephone
service.
Wilson, like other towns in the
State, appears to be afflicted with the
troublesome multiplicity of long-diS-
lance lines, some of which do not con-
meet with the lines which are in the
residences Of the people and business
houses. For instance. the local eX-
change, through it's Wilson connec-
tions. will give its patrons connection
with the Interstate but not with the
Bell Telephone long distance lines,
although the switchboard is the same
The Bell company maintains a sep
arate long distance office, located up
three flights of stairs. to which pat
rons desiring to have long distance
conversations must walk. The Wilson
people desire to have this inconveni-
ence remedied, believing that the re-
qurement that the local company
should arrange long distance connec-
tions with all towns is a reasonable
one. If that is not done. they con-
tend that a company which offers Ger
tain conveniences in one town and
fewer conveniences in another, should
not be permitted to charge the same
rates in both, as it is claimed is done
in the case of Wilson and other towns.
Under the act of creating the cor
poratiOn commission. one section APP
pears to give the members thereof
general supervision and control over
telephone and telegraph companies,
while a subsequent section deals only
with the power of the commission 10
fix intra-state rates and charges.
Whether the first or the last of these
sections controls in the giving or linn
ting of the power of the commission
is an open question. Unless satiSfac-
ton is given in the Wilson case, how
ever, the matter will be thoroughly
canvassed and taken if necessary To
the courts for determination.
In view of the fact that the Bell
and Interstate systems of telephones
are considered to be practically one
and the same, the service in many
towns and cities, especially the long
distance service, is very aggravating
to the public. For instance, many
chartered to place phones in the
houses of citizens, which cannot con-
meet with the long distance phones
of the Bell and Interstate systems
which are operated in the town.
person living in such a community,
though he have a telephone in his
house is nevertheless compelled to go
to a distance and hunt up the solitary
Office of the long distance affair in
order to speak to other communities,
when, without loss and al a profit by
reason of increased business, he might
as we'll speak from his own phone
over such long distance wires. In all
such towns having local exchanges
the long distance phone is always the
BELL" and where the Interstate and
the local companies both operate the
separate long distance office is MAIN
tanned, notwithstanding the fact that
a community of interest exists be
tween the Bell and the Interstate
in the handling of long distance mes
sages.
The Wilson people, in short, will
ask that the commission make a regu-
lation and establish the terms On
which the long distance and local lines
shall be compelled TO connect one
with the other for the transmission Of
long distance messages.