Milford chronicle., 1912-01-12

Sh~ PAbAA~ IA O(Ad W c-AC WAthAh NAA'
past three months, and the matt
operators in all central stations o
lower Delaware have been repeat
edly called to Dover to receive in
lstruetions from the chief operator
there in charge. Yet there is {
ruling which has come down from
the city Offices which shows plainly
that the city men although crack
er-jacks in their line of business
Go not know, and as yet have moi
realized, that there is a difference
in the methods of doing even tele'
phone business in city, and doing
the same business in a rural com
munity, or even in a small town OI
three thousand inhabitants. The
new ruling has deprived tue tele-
phone company of line of busi-
ness which forms a no incOnsidera-
bic part of the whole in a rural
community, by enforcing the regu
Iation, that to have a charge made
for a call over a neighbor, or even
a club room phone, the renter of
that phone will have to pay for
that call, even though the person
calling is a well-known customer,
and in all small towns the patrons
who have this character of work
done, are well-kuowu to the opera
toTs), and that it cannot be charged
to the phone rented by the one
making the call from a neighboring
phone. A business man living at
a hotel, can not even at night,
when his place of business IS many
blocks distant, call for a long dis
tance call over the hotel phone and
have it charged to his own phoae
number For this reason the
writer has not expended in calls
during December what would have
to about seven dollars,
simply because of the iuconveu-
ieuce of getting to a phone, and i'll
was too late to make the calls the
nexl dav. These rules are abso-
-utely all right for cities aud large
central stations where the switch
boards are large, but in towns like
Milford and the other places on the |
peninsula, where the operators
know the subscribers well. this
-ule is depriving the telephone com- /
,any of much business, and what
) worse, is failing to encourage
he use Of the telephone BY having
he general public look upon it as
convenience, as well as a valua-
lie asset. Only the business man
ooks at the latter, but the peorle
on the Delaware and
Maryland peninsula are in the pri-
nary, or educational stage as to
he advantages of the telephone.
t the wise young fellows who sit
{ arol-top desk in the home offices
t the telephone company and work
ut in their fertile minds these
ules, will get down next to the
Underlying principles which result
d evolution in all matters, they
viii readily see this real condition.
'he railroad company has a hard
rule for shipping, etc but
here the conditions are different,
ut even they do not work to the
est advantage of all the people
f the people Of this state will enter
vigorous kick, and at the same l.
ime, present an enlightening dis
lay Of facts as to what the present
ules are working out, we believe
hat the telephone company will
ave the good judgment to meet
he situation. We heard a little
unch Of the telephone people from
ne city Offices conversing recently
,hile they were at dinner, and the
Tpressiou Of one of the party that
if I had my wav with the people
/ this part Of the territory, I would
lake them take it or leave, it,
lie was referring TO the rates
harged, etc. This displayed a
lex of business ability on the part
f the young man, which should
ave a careful guiding hand for the