Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-05-02
PHONES,
British Cities Abandon Expert
ment After a Short Trial.
Every City That Tried to Run lite Own
"HsIIO" System Got Poor Service and
Lost Money.
By WALTER F. BURGESS.

| Inc act OF pdIAluiutut VI l'9oo permit
ting municipalities to borrow money
for the purpose of establishing munich
pal telephone systems was taken ad.
vantage of by the corporations Of elias
gov, Tunbridge Wells, Hull, Ports.
mouth, Brighton and Swansea. The
record of each has been one Of finan.
cial failure. At the outset 1t was stat
ed by practical telephone engineers that
the plans and estimates on which the
systems were to be built were falla-
cious and would inevitably lead to dis
aster.
The municipality Of Glasgow, which
trades In everything from street cars
down to lodging houses for hoboes,
was the first to take advantage of the
act. Their license was granted in
March, 1900, and was valid for q pc
Rod of thirteen years. Instead Of adopt
ing a modern common battery system
they decided to install modification of
the old law system, which had already
been discarded by telephone companies.
Almost Immediately following the open
ing the predicted faults became appar-
ent, and changes In the plant became
necessary. So many methods Of work
ing the telephone were introduced that
the department rapidly became a by
word and a reproach, and in July last
the plant was sold after being In op-
Grafton barely five years at loss to
the taxpayers of 100000.
Obsolete engineering methods were
not confined to Glasgow. At Ports
mouth and Swansea the clearing sig
nails were operated by push buttons
located at the subscribers stations,
while at Brighton and Hull the clear
ing signals were given by a momen-
tary earth contact made by the rising
and falling of the switch hook. The
service given by these municipalities
was so poor that the increase Of sub
scribers, which was at first rapid owing
to the cheap rates and the glowing
promises of an efficient service, almost
ceased. Official statistics show that the
National Telephone company for the
year 1905 added 1O,50S stations In the
competitive areas as against 2,149 sta
lions added by the municipalities them
selves. Although Glasgow was the lar
gest of the municipal systems and con-
splcuously the worst from a technical
point of view, it's financial losses were
not proportionately greater than either
of the other municipalities, which were
oil small o,,J etr,,OoliDn, oouoorno Tor
instance, the balance sheet of the
Brighton municipality shows that the
CONSTITUTIONAL estimates were exceeded
by 40 per cent. and the whole concern
was sold last August at loss to the
taxpayers of $1S,590.
Further Investigations of the finan-
cial statement of the municipalities
show that it was their practice to dis
criminate in the taxation Of their own
undertakings and those which were OPP
Grated under private control A fair ex-
ample of this discriminating policy may
be found in the statement for the fiscal
year ending March 81, 1906, of the
Brighton municipality. The capital ex-
penditure up to this date on the tele
phone system amounted to SPIT $50.
At the rate for that year the undertake
ing should have been charged with
about $3,707 for taxes, whereas the
balance sheet shows that only 1896
was actually paid.
The Swansea corporation is the last
to discover that the operation of mu-
nicipal telephony in practice and the
ory is entirely different, and they have
Just decided to cut their losses and
sell out AS they were the last of the
six municipalities to enter into the
telephone business, their selling out
may be referred to as the "swan song"
of municipal telephony in Great Brit
ain.
Immediately they announced their
intention the local press was inundated
with letters Of protest. The mayor
was requested to convene town meet
ing to discuss the proposed SALE At
this meeting a number of speeches
were made and deal of enthusiasm
displayed 1t was resolved that the
subscribers to the municipal system
should be invited by circular to agree
to pay an increase on their rate,
amounting to IS per annum for three
years, and thus avoid the sale.
Considering the loud trumpetings of
the profitable" results that had been
claimed at the existing rates, this pro
posal seems to be more than passing
strange. The result of this highly
original poll is extremely amusing.
The official statistics of the telephone
system show that there were 1,4s7 sub
scrlbers, so, judging from the enthu-
siasm displayed at the meeting, one
might have anticipated that the mu-
nicipallty could count upon an increase
Of revenue amounting to at least 81 900
per annum from the proposed canvass
In the circular sent out 1t was stated
that no reply would be construed as
refusal to pay. Now for the result
Total number''of subscribers circular
tzed ..ss'-.s'''''s'.''s' 5UV
Agreed to increase rate................... PAT
1 IL DNa Il