The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-11-19
Detroit Wants Adequate Service
and Not Curtailment, Says
Marx
PROTESTS COMPANY'S
PLAN TO USE METERS
Declares It Took Him Is Minutes
To Wake Up Long Distance
From Office


mans, chairman Of the state railroad
commission, frankly stating that the
citizens OF Detroit are dissatisfied
with the recommendation made by
the commission for lettering the local
telephone service. In his letter the
mayor criticises the commission for
attempting to shoulder the respon-
sibility for inadequate service on that
class OF subscribers which the CON-
mission declares monopOlixes the
wires with frivolous and unnecessary
conversations"
Especially does the mayor protest
against any proposal to meter the
service in Detroit. The recommended
lions Of the commission make It quite
plain that the commissioners already
agree with the telephone company
officials that the local service ought
to be metered. Corporation Counsel
Richard I. Lawson has informed the
mayor that should the commission
give the company permission to In
stall the meter system. the city would
be powerless to prevent 1t. That Is
why the mayor IL sending the strong
letter OF protest to Lansing, and his
communication win. be followed by
others to remove, II possible, any
such plan from the minds Of the COM
missioners.
Tonight~the mayor will ask the
common council to take some action
protesting against the recommenda-
ton OF the commission that the tele-
phone service In Detroit be placed on
the meter basis. He will also ask. on
recommendation Of the corporation
counsel. that the council frame q
charter amendment. which, when
passed by the people, will give the
aldermen the authority to regulate
telephone service and rates by ordi.
nance. Corporation Counsel Lawson
IL convinced that such charter
amendment will be constitutional and
will not conflict with the state Az.
thority vested in the railroad COM
mission.
The mayors letter Of protest fol.
lows.
Hon. Lawton T. Hemans.
Chairman State Railroad Commissio on,
Lansing, Mich.
My Dear Mr.. Hemans-It was with
troiters received the report OF the In
vesttgatton into the local telephone
service. made by yourself and experts
ton Of 1t in which recommendatio Ions
for lettering the service are concern
ed. Detroit has suffered painfully from
When its officials, urged by tho usands
of citizens, sought means to improve
the conditi IONS Complained OF. il was
discovered that the city was power
matter was wholly I'm the hands OF tho
state railroad commission.
To convince US that many Detroit
frivolous and Unnecessary converse
tons and that some party line users
are abusing privileges accorded them.
cn ,se part me enFa fSe f sass
honorable body. However, to shoulder
the rssp9hnsieiity Of inadequate ser
ers, We believe, Is an unfair and un-
satisfactory explanation or the"wretch-
ed facilities afforded US.
In your report / md the following
paragraph,
had been provided within the De-
cilities and operating force to- give
the maximum OF service which the
patrons OF that exchange. under
the eontracts, may reasonably de-
last sentence, because IT. does not
follow that the service Is nsces-
sarily OF the quality that the pat
that the complaints which are
made against the Detroit telephone
system have their basis IN the un
satsfsstory , Son,Sitions that TIA are
sold by the company.
Over private wires: In this office. we
are frequently forced to tolerate exas-
e esrsn when s Sns nay min
utes trying to awaken the long dts
lance department.: Would your honor
able BODY , considder this sc, service r, ad e,
frivolous and unnecessary converse
ton? - this the kind of service which
the~patfons OF the company under their
contracts, may reasonably demand?
Whether an increase In the operating
force of the telephone company In re-
quired to better the service Is more
s tssp san si %ssser b ot
TO meter the present service and to In
sist that patrons of the company. who
are to pny ssa
four incoming and outgoing calls per
day, 10 a accommodation that ! be-
lieve is unjust to all save the tele-
Detroit wants improved. not curtaiI-
ed service.
trust that you will accept this let
ter In the spirit I'm which ~ is writ
ten and we earnestly request that be-
fore the telephone company 10 permit
ted to install metered service in this
city, as you propose. the members or
the common council and other officials
who have given the subject OF tele-
phone service some thought, be pcr-
mitted to appear before your honor
able body and voice a protest.
Here il one OF the many letters that
the mayor Is receiving from citizens,
protesting against the installation OF
a meter system:
Dear Sir:
Let me join In protest against
the installation OF q meter system
by the Michigan State Telephone
Co. on It's party lines. This Ia
but a stepping stone to further
encroachments by this greedy and
inefficient corporation.
They say that this will help the
trafic and lessen the number Of
calls. Undoubtedly IL will on
party lines but what about private
business lines?
The service on private lines
downtown has reached such q con-
dition as to be intolerable and
can only be characterized by the
word rotten"
The company should be investi-
gated by the state board OF health
and not by a sympathetic railway
commission. W
DIR. NELSON MACARTHUR.