The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-12-20
DO YOU POSSESS A
TELEPHONE METER?
&. n. Martin, of Webster City, Tells
Why Telephones Should Have
Meters and Explains System
ARE VALUABLE IN MANY WAYS:

WetSTS anu Explains 0ySIS"
ARE VALUABLE IN MANY WAYS:
To Stop Abuse to Which Telephones
Has Been Patient Horse for
Many Years.
(E. H. Martin, in Tribune.)
The justice and consistency of SELL
ing water, gas and electricity by me-
ter measurement has been recognized
for years and is proved by the fact
that each consumer must pay for what,
he actually uses as measured ana.
there is no reason why the poor man
should pay for the extravaganza OF
his neighbor. If this is true of water.
gas and electricity, why not the tele-.
phone? Telephone companies have,
been casting about for years, in fact,
ever since it's introduction in public,
service, to devise meter that would.
|equitably measure the service, and up,
to the invention of the Martin tele-
phone meter there has been nothing.
anywhere nearly approaching simple
and accurate device for this purpose.
A hundred things could be said about.
the value of the meter as 1t will alb,
|solutely stop the abuse of the tele-
phone, which has been patient horse
for these many years To cite an in
stance: A careful count of calls in
this Office for two weeks shows the.
remarkable result of Is per cent Of
all calls passing over the board in "a
hours from spOngers, so per cent I'M
necessary calls, the other rs per cent,
being legitimate business. If this Is
per cent of Improbable business can
be cut down it stands to reason that
the service will be much more prompt.
and Is per cent of the Zine busy" will
be cut out. IS per cent of consumption
of battery saved, IS per cent less wear
and tear on the apparatus, IS per cent
of a saving in the valuable time of
the busy man, and last but not least
the small user will not be compelled
to pay for the large user as at pres,
lent.
l have heard great many people
ask about the new meter and here
with explain it and it's working full
ly. The meter itself is a 16 size
ieweled watch movement that counts
minutes up to 9999 and is mounted in
the telephone receiver. In order to-
ATTACH it to telephone (any make or
system) it is (only necessary to take
off the present receiver and connect
the new one in it's place. When you
place the receiver to your ear you
can't hear anything (being cut off the
line) until you push button handily
mounted on the receiver. When you
push this button you do three things
first, wind it; second, start it. and
third, cut yourself on the line. There
is set screw in the meter which will
set it anywhere from three minutes
up to ten minutes, when it will cut
you off the line and if you wish to.
talk longer you have to let go Of the
button and push it again. For in
stance, if the meter is set for min
utes you have automatic notice that
you have talked your limit on toll
lines.
If you only talk a quarter of min
ute that is all that is charged to you,
or if you talk five times in day a.
quarter of minute each time you wilf
have only been charged with one min
ute and quarter, in fact the meter
registers as low as one-tenth of min
ute. Now, you ask, how will you
charge for the service? That can't
in order to give you an idea of how it
will work out we will suppose some
figures. (Now, don't mistake lt-these
figures are not correct, but only used
as an illustration) We will say our
minimum would be for 1000 minutes
per year to cover outgoing business,
and we allow you 500 minutes per year
to cover incoming business and SOU
minutes per year to cover all cases
of bad servise, slow operation and
other unsatisfactory connections, this
making total of 1000 minutes, and
when we read the meter at the end
of the year we find you have used
1900 minutes, we charge you 81 for
each 100 minutes or fraction thereof
over the 1000. If you have party
line farm line) you will not be very
apt to do much "rubbering."
We have something like 40 farm
lines with an average of Is telephones
per line and on each line there is an
average of three subscribers who,
monopolize the line. The meter will
cure this evil 1t will cure the rub.
bering. 1t will reduce the use of the
line to short, terse, necessary bust
ness 1t will result in the line being
accessible to the party who needs it
instead of this awful Lines busy" that
makes us all so mad we could tear our
hair. 1t will cost no more than now
if properly used and may lead to con-
reduction.
This is a new thing and no one in
tho world has ever heard of it before
| invite criticism by mail in order to-
have help to thresh out the problems
These l wish to publish with the an
swer each time to the end that you
may help me determine the operation
of this meter and when we get it
right we can say Eve killed the BEAR
Lake Ice Season OPENS