Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-20

\ flat rate of 81 per mop;h. SIS Il year.
for an unlimited service an9 direct wire.
4 party wire costs but 81 80 a month.
Special Agent d. G. Browning told a
STAR reporter too2y hat the company,
which he explained was AFFILIATED with
the Hudson Telephone Company, of Jer-
sey City, had in the neighborhood of
1870 subscribers. Referring to the low
rate of the Newark company, a Broad
street merchant. who is protesting,
made a comparison by saying lemons
are cheaper than grape fruit, He
cited the inactivity of the Newark Tele-
phone Company as indicating that 1t
has come under the wing of the bigger
concern. which was the old Bell COM
pany. There is talk in the financial
world that the big telephone and tele-
graph companies have all been merged
into one monopoly, and that ]. Pierpont
Moigan's shadow looms up behind the
alleged big merger.
Rivalry between the two telephone
companies in Rochester has forced the
telephone rates there to a low figure
as compared with Newark. Rochester
has what are known as the Bell and
the Home phone companies. The for
mer is credited with II, 900 subscribers,
and the latter with 10000. Mayor
Hiram H. Edgerton wrote to a Broad
street business man that the service of
both companies was excellent and hat
the@competition alone was responsible
for the low rate. The rate for UNI
limited service for business houses spt-
cial line is $4S per year, net. A two
party line rate in Rochester is $40,
while for the residences the direct lime
is but $50 as against only $24 a year
for the two-party line. The so-called
Bell Company of Rochester, Is the New
York Telephone Company, which OPP
crates in Newark.
BuGnIo's Low Rates.
Similar rivalry exists in Buffalo,
where low rates also prevail. The New
York Telephone Company, successor to
the Bell Company. has, of course. the
largest number of subscribers. The In
dependent, or opposition company, is
known as the Frontier Telephone and
Telegraph Company. The business
rates of the New York Telephone
Company in Buffalo are as follows;
Unlimited service, one-party line, " IL
month; unlimited service over II two
party wire or a one-party line message
rate service, 1,200 calls a year, adj
ditional calls five cents each. 50 a
month; two-party line message-rate
service, 1000 calls a year, $3.50 a month
and four cents each for additional calls.
The residence rates. are as follows:
Unlimited local service, o~ne-party line,
81 d month; one-party line message
rate service, 500 local calls per veal,
additional calls 4 cents each, or UNI
limited local service over a two-party
line, So a month; unlimited service over
q four-party line, $3.50 a month; four
party line message rate service, GU
calls a year, So a month and 4 cents
each for additional messages. The UNI
limited business rate" which the
merchants of Newark 20 much desire,
is but sS4 in Buffalo rs against about
three times that amount In this city.
Independent Compnny's Rates.
The Independent Buffalo company
have even a lower schedule of rates.
1t follows:
Business direct line, unlimited serv-
ice, per annum, $72; business direct
line, 1000 messages, per annum, $4S;
business four party line, unlimited
service, per mum. $50; business ex-
tension telephone sets, per annum, $12;
residence direct line, unlimited service,
per annum. s36; residence four party
line, unlimited service, per annum, S24;
residence extension telephone sets. per
annum, SO or 50.
Buffalo has proited by it's competi-
tionein the telephone field. In 1901 the
city had but one telephone system with
only e, 900 subscribers. The service was
Indifferent and high rates prevailed.
The competition there now is active
and the rates greatly reduced. There
are about 10000 subscribers to the teie-
phone systems. The service Is excel
lent ard the cost Is less than it was
in 1901. The Federal. or Independent
company, reaches more than 100, 900
subscribers in western New York.
which pronounces the Importance of
the independent company as against
the inactive rivalry that exists in
Newark.
Figures tending to show the imposi-
ton of the telephone monopoly in New
ark are being gathered from Cincin-
natl, Detroit and other cities.