The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-12
URGES ALL TO USE
INDEPENDENT LINES
Division General Manager of
Bell Tells of Local
Difficulties.
HAS SERIOUS PROBLEM
Company Will Spend $780,
900 on New Plant to Re-
lieve Situation.
HAS SERIOUS PROBLEM

Fear that users OF Indcpcndcnt tclc-
phones anticipating the plans of the
Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph
company for carly consolidation OF tho
Two local plants Will order out their In
dependent telephones. is agitatinG Dl-
vision General Manager c. G.. Seclyc.
The situation might easily become serl-
Gus. so serious. In fact. that the BclI
plant would be unable 10 handle the
telephon. traffic II any great number OF
Independent telephones were ordered re-
moved.
III We can only get the telephone using
public Ia appreciate the stupondous prob
lem that confronts the COMPANY TO-DAY, !
am sure they would see the Justice OF
our situation Mr.. Scelye says. lhc
operating burden on our Bell plant IN :
creAscs proportionatclv as lndepencent
telephones arc removed. and 1s we are
already up 10 our limit on aimos, every
position OF the local Bell switchboard
You can see what any general change
means
-; will be some ,ime-sevcral months
in fact--before our new switchboard can
he put In service at our new Hyland
We have already bought from Samuoi
Gagon the site on Eighth East. near
Ninth South. and the plans for the build
ing. are ready; Work on inc ouilainS
viii 20 forward without delay, The build
Ing is not the serious feature OF II. The
thing that is Worrying us Is getting the
switchboard and cable here. All the ma
terial has been ordered. but II takes time
10 get these supplies and 10 put them In
place after they arrive.
AT present we have only 500 vacant
lines available for use on the local Bel
switchboard, II the threatened rush
comes these vacant lines VIII last only
short time and then We shall be com
PEELED in refuse service 10 new subscrtb-
crs. a situation We arc most anxious 10
avoid.
Switchboard Congested.
our switchboard is ALREADY somewhat
congcsted. Congestion means poor ssrv-
Ice and VIC are therefore anxious TO limit
tho congestion IS much as can. The
Indepe ndeut plant. on the other hand. is
not at all congested and as a result OF
that condition we. arc able To give and
are giving. excellent service 10 Inde-
pendent telephone users: much better
service than conditions permit us 10 give
through the Bell exchange for the rea-
sons have Indicated
II wish strongly 10 urge every person
who mas both telephones TO us the Indc
pendent lines as much as possible. They
VIII find the service above criticism and
II is not possible for ms 10 take care of
all the telephone users In the city through
our Bell plant Mt present. The physical
edulpment is not equal 10 the burden.
There is no way by which we can in
crease our force Of operators in the Bell
office. as there simply is not room on
the switchboard. ANY person can verify
this statement by n visit 10 tho operating
Ipoill. re VIII ma every ANlllaDlD pO-
sitlon occupied by n skilled operator He
will also find that the operators now at
work arc already oycrburdened By that
| mean each operator is handling more
calls than she would be required TO han
die under ordinary conditions. j saw this
In Justice 10 our young ladies' who are
doing their best and working faith
fully 10 help the company out Of a TRYING
situation.
we are urging every applicant for
service 10 take an Independen, telephone
instead of Bel and Will continue this
policy until the situation is relieved. We
believe the telephone users OF Salt Lake
whom we arc anxious 10 serve TO the
best OF our ability. have a common in
terest with us in this situation and |
am going on, in tho morning and take
the matter I'D with the heavier users OF
service and VIII request them personally
tho help themselves and help us by using
the Independent lines rs much as possi-
bio. In this WAY. and with the co-opera-
tion OF the telephone using public. ] am
sure we shall be able 10 meet the sltua-
ton TO the best interests OF all con-
ccrnsd.'
Work to Be Rushcd.
In response TO an inquiry as to when
telephone users might look for the COM
pletion of the new building and the re-
factory telephone conditions with uni
versal service in the city. Mr.. Seeiye
said
Just as soon as Il can possibly be
see II than anyone else in Salt Lake CITY
as the present situation is causing US
continuous worry. II is really uD 10
the manufacturers of tho switchboards
and cable. as have Indicated. We shall
he ready 10 install the material as soon
as IL arrives and II has all been ordered.
/ hope To have the work completed by
early spring. but ] feel absolutely safe in
promising IL not later than June l.
Il, is very different proposition to
handle 5000 or 1000 subscribers on two
systems and 10 handle them on one we
ar" especially unfortunate In that technf-
ca conditions make IL impossible 10 tic
The two plants together. One is a system
operated on -four-volt basis and
the other on a thirty six volt, That may
not mean anything 10 "A nontechnical
man. but ! NAV be able TO make 4, un-
derstood. partially NJ least. by saving IL
would he about the same sort of "A promo
sition az trying 10 haul narrow gauge
cars over "a standard gauge railroad
Il am going To invoke the assistance
of your paper 10 the extent OF asking
sou 10 sav that the salvation of the tele-
phone service In Sal, Lake City for the
next six months depends on everyone's
giving the preference TO tho Indcpendcnt
service. We can only do our best and
that VIC Will do. bur We must have tho
cooperation Of our patrons 10 give ser-y-
ice until our proposed improvements on