The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-16
LONG DISTANCE
PHONE RATES CUT
Sweeping Reduction Will Go
in Effect Beginning
Jan. Il
BASIC CHARGE OF
6h MILLS A MILE
Night Service from $50 to Midnight
Half Day Rates, from Midnight to
430 a. IN. One-Fourth Day Rates
Other Notifications.

WASHINGTON, Dec. To- Sweeping re-
auctions in long distance and toll tele
phone rates by the adoption of a basic |
charge Of 6Is mills mile, airline, and
half the day rate for night service up to |
and one-fourthre the day rate |
after that hour, were announced last
night by Postmaster General Burleson.
They become effective Jan 81.
This rate is based on a so-called sta
tion-to- station" charge which is payable
whether the particular person desired is
reached or not, provided the connection
with his telephone is established. For
the particular person" service an extra
charge is made.
The new rates were recommended in
the first report of the committee on rate
Standardization, and Mr. Bmleson,s state
ment said their effect is to equalize the
toll and long distance charges over The
country and to provide "a scientific basis
for future reductions contemplated, as
unitcaton Of telephone and telegraph
wires proceeds.
a night service rate said the state
ment which IS one half the day rate, i
Established between $50 and II p. m.
Between midnight and 4.30 a. IN. the night
rate is one-fourth day rate. These are
greater reductions iii night rates than
/ have ever been made in any country and
/ doubtless will be extensively used espe
cially for social and family purposes.
y station-to-station service is estab
! lished such a. now exists in the balance
of the world that is. when a connection
is established with mans house or
Office, the opportunity TO converse is
provided and the station-to -station rate,
which is the basic rate, applies and is
payable whether the particular person
desired responds or not.
This rate. mp Ia u miles is at the
rate of FIVE cents for siN miles and for
greater distances five cents for each eight
miles, or about 81 mills mile The dis
tance is computed by airline methods
and not by pole line or public highways
The line distances are commonly
about 100 miles. when the others would
run $50 miles. Ii is stated BY the com
mittec that more than 90 varieties Of tol
rates have existed in the United State,
up to the present time, The effect o
/ thi. uniform or basic rate in the station
: ip-Nldli'H StIN itt IL 20 slHtlutt vi nv
/. affect about 30 per cent of the rates
though necessarily slightly raising abou
80 per cent in the process of Standardized
ton.
: 1T requires about 20 times as mucl
: work to establish connection with a par
ticular person than the station to-statiol
: service Hitherto the rates have been tn
8 same for both kinds OF services. NOTHING
f being paid. however great the service
: performed. on the failure Of the telephon
: institutions to secure the particular per
!. son The particular person service ha
also been used to defraud the government
Il out of its toll revenues Designing per
Il sons employ orders under which althoug
G the desired telephone is reached, the pai
8 ticular person is said not to be there, bu
{ words Of explanation given from hi
: phone answer all the purposes of the ca
under the order.
The particular person service i ne
discontinued, but the rate therefor is )
! modified as to prevent these abuses an
= compensate the telephone service in pan
! for the extra expense of labor and plar
S involved, and charge Of - per cent
II the Standardization rate is made f
It such service, when the particular perso
s is secured and report charge of > pr
[. cent of the station to-station il mao
# when the house or office telephone is ol
II tanned and his whereabouts or refusal I
NJ talk is reported.
I'm many large sections of the countI
y the smallest toll rate has been not le
: than Il cents. Under the new scheme f,
! short distances the rates are reduced 10
). cents and 10 cents for the cheapest for
~ of service; the person can talk five n
- utes as compared with three minutes mo-
or in some cases only two minutes or OF
= minute. Free toll areas. where the e
ID change rate was designed to cover Il
II. free service, or a low charge therefor. a
not affected by thiS ordar