The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-11-17

no reduction in the rates at Los An
geles since the installation of the dual
system The current rates collected at
Los Angeles exceed the present rates
at Oakland. Part of this excess may
be accounted for by the fact that there
are several thousand more telephone
subscribers at Los Angeles than az
Oakland, on account of the greater
population. While the dual system
does not result IN lessening of tele-
phone rates to subscribers, it does re-
suit in the burden of a double expense
to many of the telephone users. Every
business man, for instance, doing a
general business and wishing to be
brought into contact with all of his
customers, would of necessity be COM
PEELED to use both telephones; the ex-
penSe of his Office thereby being
doubled for telephone service. This
would not apply solely to business
men, but to physicians, professional
men generally and all those who use
a telephone to any extent. The ap-
plicants for the pending franchise have.
represented to this council that before
their service is completed they would
have expended the sum of eight hum
dred and fifty thousand ($S50,00O dol
lars. 1t is obvious that return upon
this investment would have to be met
by the general public; that is, the tel
ephone subscribers of Oakland. In
such a business it would be necessary
to figure a reasonable depreciation,
which, estimated at ten per cent. would
amount to $4,000 and six per cent.
return of profit upon the original in
of SSSD k
ing a total necessary increase over
and above operating expenses of $136,-
! 900, in addition to the sum now paid
for telephone service in Oakland.
THE granting of this application
would therefore result in the council
| burdening the business community
and the telephone users generally
with a tax of at least this sum, which,
added to the operating expense, would
| probably be in the nelsnborhoOd of
$25O,O0O per year.
while there was some difference of
opinion as to the general convenience
of a dual system among the users of
telephones at Los Angeles, the opin-
ion of the majority was found to be
that there was no increased cOnven-
/ fence in two systems, and the weight
of opinion of those interviewed was
that a dual system involves great in
convenience. 1t was a common thing
to find a subscriber complaining of
additional outlay for telephone SER
vice without any added convenience
all uniting, however, in declaring the
services of both companies to be
very good.
THE mayor of Los Angeles express
ed his opinion and said in substance
that a double telephone system under
any circumstances should be avoided;
that conditions should never be per-
mitted to arise in any city to justify
the installation of a duplicate system;
that the city authorities should be able
at all times to control the character Of
the service and make the company
conform to any reasonable require
ments. This statement was cOncurred
in by the police surgeons of Los An
geles who mentioned that some time
ago physicians of Los Angeles were so
dissatisfied with the dual system that
they organized movement to bring
about it's discOntinuance. For reasons
| easy to understand this was dropped
1t Indicated however, the state Of
| opinion with reference to the dual sys-
| tenn. 1t must be borne in mind in this
connection that recent applications to