Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-01-20

Both the railroad companies ana the
telephone company should do their |
best to see that the arrangement Of
department names In the telephone di. |
rectory is sufficiently clear to enable |
inquirers to call the first time for
the number they really want.
The city ought to have bureau Of
complaints to which appeals for the
Improvement of faulty conditions Of
service might be made by patrons Of
local public utility corporation.
A gentleman named Bemis, who 10
called a telephone expert, has hand.
ed In a report to the City Council
favoring the installation Of nickel
hrst" telephones.
The report Of Mr.. Bemis shows
that there are 145,920 nickel.in.the.
slot phones now In use In Chicago.
Mr.. Bemis, as expert, wanted to
find out Just how the users Of the
nickel.in.the-slot phones liked the
service 30 he wrote to $50 out Of 1885,.
920 subscribers to find out.
Think Of I'll He wrote to $50 out
Of 145,920, and that ought to satisfy
anyone that the report deals In facts.
But he only received thirty.one re.
plies.
The balance Of the one hundred
and fifty asked, were too indignant to
make reply.
Only thirteen Of the thirty-one who
answered expressed themselves 40
satisfied with the service. while
eighteen replies were unfavorable to
the service.
But we will let Mr.. Bemis' report
tell its own story.
"Of $50 inquiries made into the use
Of this phone" says Mr.. Bemis In his
report. "only thirty-one replies were
received to date. Presumably the 119
not replying had no very serious COM
plants to make. OF the thirty-one
replying, thirteen were entirely salts.
fed, several referred the nickel hrst'
to the nickel last type on account of
quicker service. The objections urged
In the eighteen unfavorable replies
were either that central could not be
reached without the depositing Of q
nickel In case Of fire or robbery or
other emergency. or the loss Of occa,
sional nickels and consequent annoy.
ances connected Herewith.
"The emergency objection appears
worthy OF consideration. In July,
1911, there were 1,S46 calls for police
and 327 calls for the fire department
or total Of 2,173 such emergency
calls on the 10000 nickel first' phones
then is use."
But, then. Mr.. Expert Bemis favors
the extension Of the nickel hrst
phones because the poor telephone
company will be able to save $4,000
to $4,000 a year by installing them!
In conclusion the report says:
while 1t has not been possible In
the time at hand to make an OK.
haustive study OF this important ques.
tion, It Is believed that II the commit.
tee would require the company to
provide upon request q suitable de-
vice for emergency slugs, and full
printed explanation to be posted on
every phone, telling how to use the
phone and also how to safeguard the
nickel, 1t would be we'll to permit q
further extension of the nickel first
phones II the company can thus save
the $4,000 to $25,000 year that Il
believes 1t Ii Low losing from the
failure to collect on nickel last
phones"
Mr.. Bemis' report, when It is ana
lyzed Is the strongest possible argu
ment against nickel first phones o.
an increase of rates.
Are the aldermen with the people
or the telephone company?
The public 10 watching this fgh
with great interest.
~
s II Is reported that the telephone
! company has hit upon q new schem
!. for the extraction OF the nimble nicke
, from the clothes OF customers.
The new scheme is called tn
, "short ring"
D Heretofore when call was mad
? the telephone bells jingled lon
|. time or until they were answered.
Now, in some parts Of the city the
Z are barely tapped.
: OF course II the party called doc
{ not hear the mild ring or takes th
D sound for "crossed wire." or "mii