The Detroit times., 1916-04-17
Telephone BY Meter.

The average citizen Is satisfied to
pay fair and reasonable price for
what he buys. IL Is so whether what
he buys be commodity or service. He
demands quality, efficiency and des-
patch. Given these, and a 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 a fat
rate for an unlimited service. No
matter whether phone be used or
abused the idea has become fixed in
the minds of many that high-class
service can be furnished at fiat
rate.
Attempts to regulate the telephone
service SO that each individual will
pay for it's use, equitably and pro-
portionately, are met by objections
and protests, largely from the very
ones who would be most generously
advantaged. Large and small user
alike object to any curtailment OF use
or increase OF cost.
The result Is that the numerous
small users unitedly combine to pay
for the maintenance OF the large
users service. And the service Of
both IL crippled and inefficient be-
cause there Is no check whatever
placed upon the indiscriminate use
CT the phone. The Michigan State
Telephone company desires to intro
duce the meter system into Detroit
to improve the efficiency Of the serv-
ice without increasing the actual av-
erage cost for necessary use Of tele-
phones.
There is no reason why We should
not buy telephone service Just as we
buy street car tickets, electric cur
rent Or milk. In buying these things
we pay for what we get and get what
we pay for That Is all the metered
telephone system Is designed to do.
The actual cost under the meter sys-
tenn will be ascertained by the actual
use.
Naturally the big business inter.
ests, which use many phones. will
pay more than they do now; but it
will be because they use their service
more, and not because the price is
higher. The price, as a matter OF
fact will be lower. Under the fiat
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 Is still
furnished that way in small interior
cities. But the man that burned
three lights discovered that he was
paying as much for his three-lamp
circuit as was paid by the factory
owner who had two hundred lamps.
The fiat rate system soon was abol-
iahed. Now everybody pays for what
he consumes.
The same thing is true OF the tele-
phone service. The man that pays
six dollars month for trunk-line
service and makes score of calls
day. pays the same az man who
makes two hundred calls day. The
conclusion is 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 TO re-
CURE each TO pay his just share OF
the cost and both will then be salts
fed. N
We buy seven street car tickets
for n qusrter and each ticket is good
for ride for ono person--not for "A
whole family. We buy telephone
service in the lump and everybody is
free 10 use the phone with our per-
mission. The system is unscientific.
uneconomical and prohibitive Of good
service. The telephone should be
used as utility, not as an amuse-
ment. luxury. or a plaything.
The meter system would improve
the efficiency Of every servant in the
hoJ4e, office or factory. who is given
to Sos9iping over the phone in the
absence of the employer, because en-.
ployers could have n reasonable pro.
lection against waste Of time through
the tell.tale meter which would reg.
!ster every call and its duration.
IL 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
frolic. OF the night before.
Metered telephone service should
be welcomed by the practical men Of
affairs of the city. For whatever
slight increased cost might accrue 10
large users II, would be more than
compensated by the improved ser.
vice which would follow it's introduc.
ton here. as II has followed IL In
other great Industrial cities.
Editorial American Elk, March,