Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-06-27
BY FIR EDER1c(KI AUP HAM Al
Icppyrtght, 1eot. by Frederlek upham Adans.l

t,a, 49,, l%pWleht, 1904, by Ere
2 LXlss,Go@'s' experience with tel
- ,ephones should be of interest
NJ to those citizens of this country
II .ao75 WHO are complaining of extor-
tionate rates for inferior service. AS
usual, the Scotch metropolis was the
first city in the Kingdom to challenge
the supremacy of the telephone trust,
which In Great Britain goes by the
name Of the National Telephone COM
pany.
The fight for municipal franchise
was complicated Ind interesting one.
In 1911 the imperial government
through its postoffice department pro-
poses to take over the control Of the
telephone system Of the United King
dom. At that time the National Tele-
phone company will be compelled to
surrender Its property at its actual mar
ket value without penny additional
for good will or franchises. The mu-
inequalities expect to arrive at some
agreement with the general government
by which they will be left in partial
control of their plants and to share In
Its profits. Be this as 1t may, the last
privately owned telephone will disap-
pear in about six years from this date.
1t Is more than ten years ago since
Glasgow proclaimed revolt against the
high charges and bad service of the
private telephone company. A commit.
tee Of tbs city council reported in ia.
yor Of establishing a municipal plant
and, without going into details, it may
be stated that on March !, 1900, Glas
Cow obtained the first license eve,
granted to a city for the purpose o.
constructing and operating telephon,
system. ~.
The work Of construction was begu,
in July, 1900. and up to the presen
time Glasgow has expended 1880, O0'
on its telephone plant. While the cit.
contains only twsng square miles o
territory, the telephone wires reach GU
over nearly ten times that large dis
trict.
Under the old telephone company n,
effort was made to reach the suburban
area. The private company cateret
only to the congested district and i'm
agined that 1t would lose money II /
improved the service, extended tn
scope or lowered the rates. Under ID
management the average annual cos
Of a telephone was $50 or more. I
took from one to ten minutes to maxi
q connection.
Tho Glasgow telephone service 10 tn
4hA~t ksavo ovess ip-peetes,: was N
formed that statistics showed that tn,
average time required to make a con
nection was less than fifteen seconds.
made test on my own account ant
called up ten subscribers. OF the MIN
who responded the average time from
unlocking the receiver to answers fron
those addressed was fourteen seconds
It should be explained that the tele
phone booth Is practically unknown i
the Office Of a Glasgow business mar
The instrument is on the edge Of hi
desk, and the receiver and transmitte
are In one piece
| The rate to a subscriber for Q ser1
ice with an unlimited number Of call
over the entire system lie $3.50 q yea
There Is no installation charge and n
dues Of any kind other than the annu.
payment Of this amount. A toll ser,
ice is rendered for SIT year, with a
additional charge Of penny for eao
outward message, with unlimited Il
ward calls free On party line wit
more than four subscribers the rate
4 Sc per annum, with an unlimited nun
Der Of calls.
There are 1000 subscribers to tn
municipal telephone system, Of Glas
cow. The private company predicte
that the insanity Of the managemer
In reducing rates and giving ;decsr
service would result in financial, ruiz
but the Investment showed profit .
100000 a year.
The cleansing department Of Glasgo1
10 an interesting institution. It OWE
thousands Of acres Of farm lands whez
once were nothing hut bogs and marsl
es. To these farms are conveyed Ii
refuse products Of tho streets. On the,
are stone quarries and brickyards owl
ed and operated by the city. There al
also great factories. Connecting Il
factories and the farms is a system {
steam railway, the city owning MOI
than 100 railway cars and large nun
Der Of locomotives.
In 1892 Glasgow purchased the sma
private electrical plant for about 81
900. From this modest beginning
has developed comprehensive syste
modern in every particular. It now re
resents an Investment exceeding s.
100000, and the profits last ye'
eozn nnAe ypAs. 49, =