Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-10-16
NEARLY FINISHES
TELEPHONE CASE
Free Service, Toll Rates, Traf-
fic and Other Contracts Ex-
planned to P. S. c.

Nlollll'll'lH ~ ~ wv Bi'll|
service commission adjourned this aft
finished his presentation Of the case of
the New England company, with the
exception Of the effect of the proposed
change of rates. This will be taken up
tomorrow morning and will probably
consume about an hour.
He will be followed either by Mr..
Spaulding, the president, or Mr.. Langley.
the auditor.
Mr.. Hall took up to-day the matter Of
free service, toll rates and service, traf-
fc contracts and other contracts with
subsidiary and independent companies.
lie stated that a discount of one-fourth
to one-third was given to certain chart
table institutions; that there was a rate
for municipalities, a discount of 30 Is
per cent. or one free telephone for each
1000 of population; that there is n special
rate for employees and that frank books
are issued to certain persons under the
ruling of the interstate com
mission.
Although the rates have been reduced
the service to the subscriber has been in
creased and improved.
The average revenue per station in
1895 was $3.50: 1900, So. 20; 1905, s37 30; 1910,
s33. 20: 1912, s32.75.
BRATTLEBORO AS AN
AS an example of the reduction in
rates he cited Brattlehoro, whore a one
party business phone in 1895 cost $50 per
year. with only 12 subscribers in the
town. two-party s72. three-party s63. In
1909 the rate was reduced to $50 per year;
,ao, ,qo. ,ae s2e and the number ~ sinh
scribors TO 22t
couirc ,o tho ,pa,tor Of roll ratios no
shoy,od hon. ,bo ovcboryo and to,l sorv.
leo we,o intor-reIa+ed and that the two
combined noodo I'm tho eorvico and tho
business.
The first toll rate was altogether an
experiment and was made on a basis
Of one cent per mile of distance for five
minutes conversation. 1t was found
that about % per cent. of the users Of
toll lines used the line less than three
minutes. so a new rate was arranged of
six-tcnths Of a cent per mile for a three
minute conversation. This was not en-
tirelY satisfactory, for it was found that
for conversations beyond IS miles the
charge of siX-tenths of a cent was lust
about the exact cost.
\ rate sheet was submitted showing
that the present average charge up to
- miles is hV"-tenths of a cent per mile
and beyond that s1N-tenths. with an oc-
caslonal increase from hVe-tenths to one
cent per mile.
RFcKONI\G or TOLL ATES
mere are TWO xmas OF toll points
one the eNcHahSe' the o'her the pay
station more than 10 miles from the
eXchahge' Rates are based on air
line measurements no matter what
iehgth OF Inc may ne useo IN the
connection But IN the reckoning or
larger distance where actual meas
ur'meht is practlcally Impossible ne
cauS" the company mas 10 quote =
o"''36S different rates the measure
for the parcel most
The New ENGLAND territory has di-
yided by this comnauv into h~ex,rona1
blocks containing y little moro than
10 square miles each. and measure
ments are made from tn-. center of
the block. Seven of these blocks con-
stitute a section. and for distances be-
yond - miles, measurements are made
from AMI to the center of the various
sections.
When the new toll rates. based on the
hcxagonal system we're adopted, they
would nave increased the charge in GER
tain cases. SO the company adopted the
rule that where in such cases the mum
Der of messages was 10 or moro a month,
the rate should not he charged. This left
co special rates in Vermont out of a total
Of 1l5,ON toll charges.
An explanation was made of the tele-
gram toll rate, where telephone lines are
used to convey a message from the near
est telegraph office to the address. The
regular rate is charged to the public and
a special reduced rate Is paid the tcle,
phone company by the telegraph com,
pany.
.prDrCrD RATE, SuARGES
Mr.. Hall explained the reason for the
reduced rate charge, in cases where
the person asked for does not answer tn,
call. a test of this was made on August
s In all the territory of the New Eng
: land territory. The total number of toll
calls that day was 1883, of which 81
were reduced rate" charges. This wa.
l 46 per cent. of all the toll tickets anC
| . o per cent. of all the toll revenue. TIL,
revenue from this reduced rate seryic,
is about $3.50, 900. The surplus of the com
many at tho end of last wear was 500 600
l nv dva-tonths of ono ner cent. and thi,
| "roducod ,ato" cborpc produce noarl,
D ~oro-hoIr ,h,s srr,lus Tho question s.i,
| Mr. uau 10 if tho revcnuns of tho cam
=