Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-02-13

material for our outside construction
somewhat exceeded our estimates
You would prefer we should not go
into minute details, and as we main
tanned the old exchange at considerable
expense during the time we were in
stalling the new one, it would be
difficult 20 state the cost of new con-
struction exactly We have paid, how
ever, during the year, for labor, outside
of ordinary operating expenses,
Sl0,S87n, and for new material
S33, ,566 36, and for freight, express
charges, drayage, etc., S1,116.50;
making total of S45, $40 81. In addi-
ton to this we have made use of as
much of the old material as possible,
and estimating this at moderate sum,
we believe it fair to say that under the
most favorable conditions our plant
could not be rebuilt for less than
100000
We found that the demands made for
| telephone service on the Schofeld and
Kelly line necessitated rebuilding that
line and increasing its facilities. This
we have done, and have made the line
to Schofield with five (5) circuits in
place of two o. and have increased its
efficiency and earning capacity in other
ways. This cost has been included in
| the cost of reconstruction stated above.
EAST LINE
Our pole line running to Sunrise in
the town of Hewitt was never we'll con
structed. 1t was originally built under
an arrangement with farmers who
erected the poles and we strung the
wires and furnished the telephones
These poles were originally poor, and
severe storm in July broke the most of
them down. We were under obliga- |
tlons to maintain this, and have there |
fore rebuilt it, and have extended it |
east and north to section ten (l0) in the |
town of Hewitt, at a total cost Of |
81, 10000. $500 90 of this was advanced |
by the Barker q Stewart Lumber Co. |
on their rentals, and we now have a |
guaranteed rental on this line of |
100 per annum net over the cost of |
maintenance, and we have a capacity
for extensions which we believe will |
materially increase this earning and |
make this one of our best paying lines.
WISCONSIN TELEPHONE co.
Our contract with the Wisconsin
Telephone Co. proved great conven-
ience to our patrons, and it seemed to
us desirable to extend the long dis
tance connections to all our patrons.
We Lave, therefore, modified our
former contract with the Wisconsin
Telephone Co, and have installed their
receivers and transmitters on all our
telephones, and for their use we pay
the Wisconsin Telephone CO. fifty cents
per year per telephone, instead of three
dollars per year as heretofore. That
company has also entered into a con-
tract with us to keep these receivers
and transmitters in repair, we paying
the carrying charges We also receive |
fifteen per cent. on all business over
this company's long distance lines
originating at our office, not to exceed |
ten cents per message for messages
outside this state
SALVAGE
Of course the change from the old |
telephone system to the new neces- !
sarily resulted in heavy loss on the |
material taken out, for our old tele-
phones and switch boards, and office
apparatus and connections generally
were useless in the new. We have dis
posed of a portion of this old material,
and we believe the balance on hand |
should bring us not less than two
thousand dollars ($2,000.00.) This how
ever, represents a small percentage of
what this discarded material and con-
struction cost our company.
THE RAISE IN RATES
When our company commenced |
business in the fall of 1895, we made the
rate of rental for telephones $1.5G per
month for residences, and So. 100 per
month for business houses. Later, as
the business increased we reduced this |
rent to 70 cents per month for resi-
dences and So so per month for business
houses. After few years we found
this rate insufficient, and increased the
charge for residences to S1O0 per
month. 1t was apparent to your direct
ors last summer that the large expense
incurred in installing the new system
and reconstructing our pole lines
would compel us to charge a higher
rental. We knew we would be justi- |
fed by our patrons in doing this. We
knew we would give them a very
much better service than they had ever
had. After full consideration of the |
matter, we were satisfied that the |
actual Indebtedness of our company
would be on January 1st somewhere
between S25, 100000 and S30,000.00. We
knew our work has been carefully and |
economically done, and in view Of the
universal experience in telephone
business of the short life of an ex-
change, we were unanimously of the |