The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-10

ice TO $500 persons who arc now tele-
phone users There are approNi-
rnately 5000 persons using exclusive
ly the former "Iudependent" service.
The Bell plant. as 1t exists at
present can care lor only a few
hundred additional subscribers,
Capacity Is Ample.
Its capacity Is sufficient FOR the nor
NAL growth OF the business in the city
and Will be found ample until the
new plant Is In service, unless AN
unexpected volume OF business. such
as would follow the elmination Of
the Independent" telephones. is
thrown on Il. IL such Il condition
should arise. tho company VIII. OF
course. accept subscribers UP TO the
limit OF the capacity OF the Bell
plant but tho Independent" sub
scribers thus put out OF service and
unable 10 get Bell telephones
would, in our opinion. be in nunDer
not less than 2500. These persons
would have no telephone service
whatever until aftcr the new work
10 be done by our company had been
completed II would also follow that
those who had Bal telephones
would receive poor service. The re1-
son for this statement is that the
approved practice of telephone COM
panies Is 10 give their swttchboards
elasticity" by having several opera
tors positions that are not con-
stantly In use. This makes II posi-
blc 10 place additional operators a {
work TO tighten the average load
on the operators when the volume or
calls increases above the norma II
Is obvious tnat with the switchboard
completely flied II would be imposSl
BILE 10 place additional operators, and
that when the volume of calls IN
creased--and the load varies con-
stantly, increasing greatly in business
hclrs and becoming terrific In cases
Of fire or other great excitement.
in the holiday season anu in periods
Of bad weather-each operator would
have more calls than she could han
die properly: and IL would be I'M
possible 10 relieve her burden by IN
creasing the force. The inevitable
result would be poor service. II Is
for this reason tnat we have been
urging telephone users To give the
preference as much as possible 10 the
Independent service when placing
calls as the "fndcpendent" plant has
sufficient capacity 10 handle "a much
greater volume Of business than 1t
Is now required to handle
Will Not Increase Rates.
s The Mountain states Telephone
and Telegraph company does not pro-
pose 10 increase rates In salt Lake
City above Tho present standard
BELL rates as result Of the pur-
chase of the property OF tno Utah
Independent Telephone company.
matter so clear that there can be no
misunderstanding. The telephone
business is stlll developing. II is
possible that future conditions. con-
ditions which the company cannot
control, will make IT necessary for
the company 10 Increase rates. Such
conditions are not forcseen by the
company al this time. and II they
arise the company Will present a
Justification for the Increase that vii,
be accepted by every fair-ninded
telephone user; and ii reduction
instead Of an increase can consistent
" be made, the company viii not
hesitate 10 make the reduction.
can say in conclusion on This point
that the company does not conicm-
plate and has not under consideration
at this time any increase IN rates
In salt Lake CITY above the present
standard BELL rates
believe we appreciate more keen
ly even than our patrons IN" existing
situation. AZ all our thought is dc
voted 10 the telephone business. We
arc making every effort to establish
ideal telephone conditions i'm salt
Lake CITY. and we feel that n tho
telephone users understand the physi-
cal conditions that exist here ard
what wc are doing 10 relieve tnom.
We shall have their full cooperation
in the execution Of orr plans We
desire 10 have and to deserve tho
full confidence Of our patrons. and We
welcome any inquiry into our affairs
tending - tnai end
This CnyevS the questions oC inter
est in the present discussion. As I
understand II. but II ! have omitted
anv points on which the council seeks
them UP. EesPeCtfully
4, g MACKENZIE Agent