Evening star., 1918-01-07
PUBLIC MUST AID IN
PHONE CRISIS HERE
Economy in Calls Essential,
Asserts Edward Clement, to
Prevent Service Smash.
PAYS COMPANY TRIBUTE

Economy OF telephone calls as well as
of food and fuel IS a war necessity In
Washington IL the telephone company
with Its obsolete type of equipment Is
not to go to pieces under the heavy de-
mands now being made upon it.
This warning was sounded by Edward
E. Clement, representative Of the Board
of Trade at tho telephone rate hearings
Saturday night Of the Federation OF Citi-
xens' Associations.
Leaving for determination by the pub.
lie utilities commission the question OF
ultimate relief, Mr. Clement urged CO.
operation by citizens as q patriotic duty
IN relieving the present situation along
the following lines:
First-Do not use the telephone for
social purposes, but only for business
and other really necessary calls. II
social calls are necessary. cut them
short.
Second-Do not call Information" II
you can possibly get the number or
other information you want any other
way. The information" operator Is
heavily overloaded because of the num-
ber of strangers in the city and the
number of changed numbers.
Third-If you call a person at an
other exchange, hang up the receiver
as soon as possible because you are
using a trunk line which other peo-
pie need.
Fourth-If you are business man, or
his secretary. do not bunch" your calls.
but distribute them through the day as
much as possible. SO as to distribute the
load.
Fifth-Do not have your clerk get
man to the telephone and then hold him
there while You get ready to talk. This
is not only bad manners but it ties up
central Office apparatus and lines while
you are waiting.
Sixth-Answer your telephone with
promptness.
Would End Trouble.
Attention to the above simple rules by
every one, Mr.. Clement urged, would
eliminate a considerable part of the
company's difficulties. if not all of
them.
Mr.. Clement paid a tribute to the
capacity. efficiency and handiwork of
the executives and technical staff of
the executives and technical staff of
President Bethel and his assistants,
as well as all of the engineers and op-
Grating staff, have really done mag
nif1cent work to meet government re-
Quirements.
Mr.. Clement referred, in passing, to
fthe number of technical men who have
gone from the company into the mill
tary service, and said that John ].
Carey of New York, the chief engineer
of the parent company, was virtually
responsible for the entire organization
Of his branch of the Signal Corps.
In charging the company's present
equipment as being Of an obsolete type,
Mr.. Clement explained he had references
to more modern forms in which many
1abor-saying appliances are employed
and in some of which all of the con-
Meeting and disconnecting of subscrib-
ers Is done by machine. He compared
Washington with the city Of Buffalo,
in which approximately the same num-
Der of subscribers is served by auto
'matic machines located in the same
central offices as in. Washington. The
calling rate In Buffalo averages little
over seven calls per day. which Is the
rate complained Of by the company
chimes take care of this Without any
difficulty. Mr.. Clement said.
1000 Calls an Hour.
He referred to other places where
eemi-automatic apparatus Is worked
by operators, who are thus enabled to
handle from ooS goo It, to 1000 calls per hour.
hour, which officials of the telephone
company testified Is the average In
Washington.
Mr: Clement. as representative Of the
cross-examination of telephone COM
pany witnesses before the Public Uti1-
tiles Commission this week. He did
not disclose what recommendations he
viii make to the commission.
Prior to the presentation of his views
as to what the telephone situation i'm
medfately calls for, the federation had
adopted resolution. brought in by its
public utilities committee, opposing the
increase in rates sought by both the
gas and telephone companies 1t also
passed a resolution commencing the
public utilities commission for seeking
the assistance of the bureau of stand
ards in solving the telephone problem
Vice President George H Russell pre-
sided at the meeting. which was held in
the boardroom Of the Municipal build
ing. 1t was the first meeting under the
new provision Of the consultation al
lowing each citizens association affil-
lated with the federation two dele
gates A marked increase in attend
ance was the result, and the discussion