Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-08-31

for the profts Of both subsidiary insti.
tutions Of the Trust.
Chicago Daily News editorial, d.
csmber 10. 1911:
Il has been the aim Of the telephone
company TO do away with unlimited
service - far % possible and % - |
quirs all users Of IL instruments 70
90 on the measured service basis. Op
position to the measured service plan
10 aroused Whenever Q patroa OF the
telephone company 10 made 70 pay
two tolls whore one should b SUN.
Client
The ordinary person In attsmptins
to telephone to railroad passenger
station, for example. 10 likely % aak
for the wrong number for the purpose
Of his call. for 20 confusing 10 the
array Of titles and numbers In the
telephone directory that Il 70 eftsa
dimeult 70 decide upon the department
that 10 wanted. Frequently the infor.
nation bureau at Q railroad station,
when appealed 70. refers the inquirer
to another telephone number ID the
samN building. This neosssitatss The
payment Of Q second toll. Telephone
operators are careful to prevent the
second call from being made without
the payment Of second nickel.
Both the railroad companies and The
telephone company should do their
best to SEQ that the arrangement Of
department names In the telephone d.
rsctory 10 sufficiently clear 70 enable
inquirers 70 call The arst time for
the number they really want.
The city ought 70 have Q bureau Of
complaints 20 which appeals for the
improvement Of faulty conditions Of
service might bs made By patrons OF
local public utility corporation.
From . learned Experts reports
to the City Council we learn that:
Telephone rates should be raised
because the Bell Telephone Company
owns the local telephone company.
Because the Western Electrical
Company IL also owned BY the Bell
Telephone Company.
Because the local telephone com.
pany Is obliged to buy all Of ito equip.
ment and necesaries from the West.
ern Electrical Company.
Because neither the Western Elec.
trical Company or the local telephone
company would have big enough prof.
The Telephone Monopoly obliges
the users Of nickel phones to guaran.
tee 8 cents per day. II the monthly
deposit Of nickels falls short OF the
guarantee the company makes the
phone renter pay the difference. II
there should happen to be an excess
Of nickels the company gobbles them
all. The phone renter gets no credit
for that excess. That's the logic OF
the monopoly.
The Chicago Telephone Company
charges q much lower rental for Ito
service In suburban towns than It
does In the city. Yet the oficers Of
the corporation have the gall to say
that all OF the big gain In its service
reported at the annual meeting this
year came from the country. This. Of
course. 10 Q reason for raising the
rates. Tho following from the Chica.
90 Daily News shows how the phone
people bank on the reports Of the
city "experts:"
slight gains In revenues were re-
ported to the stockholders OF the Chi.
cago Telephone Company at the an.
nual meeting. although there was .
falling of In the profits In the city Of
Chicago itself. This loss was due.
according to President Bernard E.
Sunny's report. to the constantly In.
creasing number OF nickel . day"
telephones, the revenue on which av.
erages $22.70 per annum az against Q
cost OF operation. he said. Of 32s.64.
as fixed by one city expert, apd $25.28
az fixed by another city expert. Tho
pecentage OF nickel telephones In
Chicago increased Sc per cent In 1908
and 42 per cent In 1911. The com.
pany reports increased earnings In
the suburban division, which onset
the losses in Chicago"
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
II only wants the phone rates raised
Q tribe. They are not high enough at
present to swell the dividends OF the
local and the parent company.
II only wants permission to install
pay.in-advance slot machines all over