The Detroit times., 1916-04-15
Telephone BY Meter.

pay fair and reasonable price for
what he buys. II lat so whether what
he buys be commodity or service. He
demands quality, efficiency and des-
patch. Given these, and reason.
able price, and he Is bound TO be
cheerful.
There seems To be an exception to
this general rule. however, in the
matter OF telephone service. The
public has been taught to pay fiat
rate for an unlimitea service. No
matter whether phone be used or
abused the idea has become fixed in
the minds OF many tsat high-class
service can be furnished at a fiat
rate.
Attempts 10 regulate dhe telephone
service so that each Individual will
pay forts use. eduitabg and pro-
portionately. are met by objections
and protests. largely from the very
ones who would be most generously
adyantaged Large and small user
alike object TO any curtailnent OF use
or increase OF cost.
The result is that the numerous
small users unitedly combine to pay
for the maintenance OF DE large
users service. And the service OF
both is crippled and inefficient be-
cause there is no check whatever
placed upon the indiscrimiiate use
~ the phone The Michigan State
Telephone company desires u intro
duce the meter system into Detroit
To improve the efficiency OF tie serv.
Ice without increasing the actual Az.
erage cost for necessary use II tele-
phones.
There is no reason why we should
rot buy telephone service just as we
tuy street car tickets, electro cur.
rent or milk. In buying these hings
we pay for what we get and get what
We pay for. That IL all the maered
telephone system is designed % do.
The actual cost under the meter sys-
tenn will be- ascertained BY the actual
use.
Naturally the big business inter.
Csts, which use many phones will
pay more than they do now: but II
will be because they use their service
more. and not because the prize Is
higher. The price. as n Inatte OF
fact will be- lower. Under the aat
rate system the small user pays part
of the cost of the big users service.
The big user likes that.
Electric current was furnished at
one time for fiat rate. II IN still
furnished that way i'm small interior
cities. But the man that burned
three lights discovered that he was
paying as much for his three-lamp
circuit ar was paid by the factory
nvruar uhn had tun hnndroA luy ~. ne
The fiat rate system soon was abol-
ished. Now everybody pays for what
he consumes.
The same thing Is true Of the tele-
phone service. The man that pays
six dollars a month for trunk-Iine
service and makes a score Of calls a
day pays the same as man who
makes two hundred calls day. The
conclusion IN obvious that the small
or user must help to pay the cost OF
service for the larger user. The only
solution to the problem Of inequality
and injustice thus presented Is 10 re-
Guire each 10 pay his just share OF
the cost and both will then be salts
fed.
We buy seven street car tickets
for a quarter and each ticket Is good
for ride for one person--Dot for
whole family We buy telephone
service in the lump and everybody is
free to use the phone with our per
mission. The system is unscientific.
uneconomical and prohibitive OF good
service. The telephone should be
used az utility. not "a an amuse-
ment. a luxury. or plaything.
The meter system would improve
the efficiency of every servant In the
home. office or factory. who Is given
TO gossiping over the phone In the
absence Of the employer, because en-
ployers could have a reasonable pro.
lection against waste Of time through
the tell-tale meter which would reg
ister every call and its duration.
II would discourage the discussion
of neighborhood scandals and the
silly small-talk OF adolescent lovers.
Users would be as economical as
they are with postage stamps. The
ultimate result would be seldom TO
: hear line busy" when business or
matters Of vital concern await some.
body's finishing idle chatter about
the opera, pedro party or evenings
fIolic. ~ the night before.
Mctered telephone service should
be welcomed b. the practical men Of
affairs OF the city For whatever
slight increased cost might accrue to
large users IL would be- more than
compensated by the improved ser.
vice which would follow It's introduc
ton here. az II has followed il in
other great industrial cities
Editorial American Elk, March,
1850