The Detroit times., 1913-11-15
Disguised With Railway Com,
missions WhitewashiRg, COun-
Gil or Board of Commerce
Will Conduct Inquiry
HEMANS DECLARED OUT
OF TOUCH WITH EVENTS
"I'm His Friend, but I'm Disap
pointed With His Report,
Says John NaylOn

Deep dissatisfaction with the re-
port Of the state railroad commission
on its investigation OF the service
furnished by the Michigan State Teie'
phone Co., is being expressed gener-
ally throughout Detroit, and SARCASTIC
comments are being made, even oy
men friendly to the commissioners
that they should have signed q docu-
ment SO little In accordance with the
desires OF telephone users who want
better service.
II 10 very likely that public opinion
will force an investigation OF the teie-
phone company. either under the au'
spices OF the common council or the
Board of Commerce.
| No oficial action has been taken py
the Board Of Commerce In the tele-
phone situation. Secretary Gitcheli
said, Friday, that the matter has not
been discussed either by the board or
by It's committees. but that the direct
orr had talked 1t over and had decided
TO await the outcome Of the investi-
CATION before taking action.
THE last meeting was held on the
day on which the report became pub
lic. but we did not receive the report
In time to discuss It," said Mr.. Glitch
ell. 1T may be that 1t Will come up
In q future meeting"
Dissatisfaction Of members Of the
board with the service furnished
reached such q point at one time that
there was talk Of sending blanks to
tho members, on which they might
keep q record OF the time required
to secure q number, the number OF
times that a conversation was inter-
| rupted by q broken connection. and
great deal OF other data. This was
to have been handed to the state rail-
road commission, after 1t had been
tAbulated. II was decided. however.
to walt for the commissions tnvesti-
gators TO arrive at their findings The
board may now conclude TO go ahead
on its own authority.
Competent telephone engineers are
said to have expressed the opinion
that one of the chief troubles Is that
there are not enough trunk lines be
tween the stations to carry the peak
load The company is well-enough
equipped, they say, for ordinary SER
vice, but there are certain hours Of
the day when its facilities are wholly
inadequate.
Other complaints are made that the
company does not pay It's operators
high enough salaries to secure EN-
cient service. Little girls In short
dresses, Just out of grammar school"
are employed, according to one wom-
an who has looked into the matter.
mo intelligent girl will work for $25
or $35 a month";" she continued. IF
she Il renting a room, she can't live
decently ON such wages. not to men
ton her inability to buy the little
Injuries which girls want and need.
The temptations to which such girls
are subjected are 50 great that 1t il
small wonder that some Of them take
the downward path"
John Naylon said, Friday. that he
would like to read Commissioner Law
careful thought before he made a de-
tailed statement.
| 1T seems to me-" said Mr. Naylon,
that Mr.. Hemans IA out OF touch
with the times. I am a good friend
Of his, but I am disappointed with
the report It doesn't seem to me
that he Is in touch with events"
THE less Detroit has to do with
the report Of the state railroad com
mission, the better" said Frederick
F. Ingram II don't believe that Il
should prevent the city from going
ahead with an Investigation on its
own account. A state investigation
would be Of use II It were conducted
by the right kind Of a commission;
but 1t seems to me that the report
submitted has accomplished nothing,
and has even set us back
I'VE shall have complete power to
deal with the telephone situation
when the new charter is adopted. but
why wait? Let's investigate now,
through the city council. Public opin-
ION will do the rest. We shouldn't
wait for the adoption OF the charter,
but prepare our material, 80 that we
may have something to 90 on imme-
diately when the charter Is adopted
Milton A. McRae said that he be
lievee the wire service IL all right
and that the people OF Detroit use
the telephones to a greater extent
than those Of any other city In the
country. but that he does not believe
In metered service.
Park Commissioner Dust, In a meet
ing OF the mayors cabinet, Thursday
afternoon. said: 1T looks to me al
III che telephone investigation was
gotten up for the company's own IN
terest." His opinion tallies with the
fact that Detroit man heard In New
York. two years ago. that the Mfchi
gan State Telephone company intend
ed, by one means or another, to gel
permission to install meter service
In Detroit.