The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-05
Service for Long Time Poor.

S. L. Padgctt, Mr. L. w. Evans. MIR.
G. H. Hall. Jr., Mr.. Paul Heindl and
Alderman A. ". Bennett were the corr
planning witnesses. with the possible
though strongly OF the opinion that
the service heretofore had been pour
and even wretched In spots, admitted
that Just now 1t is about satisfactory.
Assistant City Attorney Anderson con-
Quoted the inquiry. though most OF the
committeeman asked questions. Mr..
Braxton likewise Intercepted the Wit
nesSes at times. y
Mr.. Cary said that formerly his COM
plant was based upon the hardness Of
operators and upon wrong calls. He
thought the Improvement had been
marked. Mr.. Cosby contended that the
service is not as good as that original.
ly provided BY the company, although
1t Is better now than 1t hnd been rs.
Gently. There was trouble, he said.
in getting numbers. and IN blank calls.
He thought the present service ..unsat.
isfactory and slow. Mr.. Spratley sus.
have been responsible for the change
Butt would not Complain" he said.
"if the service is continued as 1t Is
now"
Had to Get Higher phone.
The principal cause for Mr.. Evans's
grievance was the slow response by
operators. when he called from the
store. and the annoyance OF a duplex
telephone? at his residence which raTg
continually. day and. ! ight.T through
mistake. The annoyance, however, " rs
remedied when he put In 9. NOR: eS.
pensiVo telephone. Mr.. Padgett created
some amusement by saying that he had
no particular love for TELEPHONES. and
that a u,n, he 1ya III ifnNr SrY q
than walt three seconds for an opera
tor to answer. He thought the agitation
in, the newspapers had lacked up the
company. and when asked II he re-
garded the present service satisfa:-
tory. replied: Eyes. reckon So" Mr..
Hall, complaining for his mother. had
cause for It. but said the. present ef.
forts of the company were greatly
improved.
my telephone number" said Mr.
Heindl, us SO. Hundleys number Is $50.
and If l could have filled all the orders
sent to me by mistake could fill this
Council chamber. Women used to call
me up and bawl out string OF orders,
without ever giving me chance TO
inform them that 1t wasn't Hundley's.
/ had the old number used by the bu 81
ness Office of the Richmond Dispatch.
and the people called me up so often
the paper that had to print an adver-
tisemcnt that my telephone was No.
49," Hc gave the present service a
fairly good name. however.
Alderman Bennett remarked. with r.
smile, that he wished somebody else
would complain next time. although
he believed that his resolution ord ar
ing an Investigation had wholesome
effect. 1T the service continues to ne
oS 4 ~ he co} Urr,e7 ~,
hardly ask for more" II
What Mr.. Hnnklns Found.
Mr.. Hankins was the solitary wit.
ness for. the company. Mr.. BraXton
had asked him to make secret test,
no other person being aware OF 1t ex-
cept the Secretary OF the Common.
wealth. From J anuary. Sd to January
18th, Mr.. Hankins asked more than 400
persons for the use OF the telephone,
from which he sent two calls. keeping
a record Of the 500. The longest time
required for central to answer was
As seconds, the shortest 9 seconds. and
the average s Ia seconds. The wit
ness said that he adopted various
plans in calling. generally asking for
some one whom he knew could not lie
found.
Maybe you We're the cause OF this
complaint, r. remarked Colonel Ander-
son fsis Il ,sl fsi'Ss
Mr.. Hankins said that one night ha
visited every bar on the north side Of
Broad Street without taking rink.
In statement to the conlmittce
Mr.. Braxton said he would be q lad if
the members would visit the plant to
see how lt8is operated. III they could
offer valuabl sug yestions to ma Ike the
system perfect they would be adopted
and paid for, al
The committees report will be, IN
effect. that while there was cause tor
complaint It has been removed. 1t liz
improvements IS due to the activity. Of
Alderman Bennett, q