The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-30
STATE COMMISSION
| DEMANDS IMPROVED
TELEPHONE SERVICE
CHAIRMAN WALKER ItYS DOWN
THE LAW" TO MANAGER OF
SOUTHWESTERN BELL

Oklahoma city, July 2S.-A deluge
OF complaints regarding inadequate
telephone service has been pouring INTO
| the office Of the state corporation com
mission for weeks and In order to give
the Southwestern Bell Telephone Com
pany an opportunity to institute rene
| dial measures without the necessity oi
formal action by the commission u
letter. signed by Chairman Art H.
Walker has been directed to John NJ
Noble. general manager of the South
western Bell. The text Of the letter
follows:
"Tms commission has again under
consid. ration the matter Of adequate
| telephone service In the state of Okla
hoYna The service now being furnlsh
ed by your company is generally com
planned OF as being wholly unsat-
factory. Judging from the Increased
number and the nature of the com
plants received the commission Is
forced TO a conclusion that the pubic
has been for some time past, ana Is
now, suffering for want Of adequate
telephone service and that, instead ol
being improved conditions are grad
ually growing worse. summarizing the
situation. we find.
That your present subscribers are
bitterly denouncing the poor grade ol
local and long distance service now be
ing rendered. That prospective patrons
complain of unreasonable delay lhcl
dent TO sucuring service or or Soui
complete failure TO supply same. SUP
scribers desiring telephones moved
complain of trouble experienced in nav
ing thsir service re-established. IN
many cases your promises to supply
service are vague and Indifferent, Vir
tually amounting to refusal to MAKE
installations. Discourteous and indif
ferent Treatment on the part of your
employees is being complained OF hS
many people in their business relations
with your company.
Your usual plea in answer TO thes'
complaints seems stereotyped; you are
always unable to secure and retain el
ficient operating force to furnish el
ficient service, and lack of facilities
are your reasons for failure to extend
service to newcomers, or to those ue
string u move.
"The commission believes there is nc
justification for this state of AFFAIRS
and will no longer stand idly by ana
permit the public to be further I'm
posed upon. Some action must be taken
at once to afford relief from these IN
tolerable conditions. There must DE
a radical change in order that the
public may receive the service ~
which il is entitled and commensur'
ate with higher rates now in effect
Not only must the service of your
present subscribers be improved, but
service must promptly be established
and furnished to all applicants. Win
out it service to present subscribers
will he inadequate.
Your company is enjoying a very
substantial increase in revenue, from
both rental and toll service. Since
the close of the war conditions nave
changed to marked degree ana Short
age of labor and material can no longer
be accepted as an argument or an eN'
cuse for poor service or curtallmeht
of extensions.
"Therefore. this commission desires
that you give this matter your most
careful consideration and that you IN
stitute such remedial measures as VIII
bring about complete reversal OF the
present status of telephone conditions
thereby rendering adequate service 10
the public in every respect
The commission will gladly confer
and cooperate with you in this matter
but the remedy is largely with YOU
You must find ways and means 1or
correcting the conditions and SATISFY
the public.
we trust that you will take adNah'
tage of the opportunity afforded you
herewith 10 bring about desired re
suits without the necessity OF iorfnal
action on the part of this commission
Promptly advise us what we can eN'
pect 50 we may know how to proceed
in This matter"