Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1919-01-24
NEW TELEPHONE
RATES IN EFFECT
Important Changes Made In
Toll Charges Tuesday
Station to Station, Person to Person.
ard Appointment Rates


ufacturing enterprises which avail
themselves of the convenience of the
telephone in transaerfng business al
fairs between their home establish
ments and their branch houses and
customers in other cities.
In promulgating this order the
Postmaster General has established
uniformity in telephone toll charges
throughout the United States. tie
has also established certain charges
for service which have not applied
hitherto and he has divided telephone
toll service into three periods OF the
24-hour day, with particular rates to
govern during each period, so far as
number calls are concerned. Tins
latter feature of the order IS well
worth close study by those who use
telephone toll service.
Within each of the three periods
referred to, there are several classes
of service created by this order, with
particular charges for each class. Inc
class of service to be first considered,
because it is that most commonly
used, will be known as the station to
station" service And the rate for
this class will be known as the sta
ton to station rate.
The "station to station" rate VIII
apply when a person makes toll
call, without specifying particular
person to be reached at the called
telephone, and when the connection
is established and the conversation
held. This method provides the cheap
est and quickest form of telephone
toll service
"Station to station" calls should be
made by giving the telephone number
of the called telephone Where the.
telephone number Is not known ana
telephone directory information IS
not available, the name and address
Of the called subscriber should be CIV
en- to the toll operator.
Another class Of service viii be
/ known as the "person to person ser
vice and the rate for this service viii
be known as the "person to person
rate
For toll calls on which the calling
party expresses a desire to talk to
particular person and the connection
is established ard conversation held
with that person, the person to per
SON. rate will apply As this service
requires a greater amount OF operat-
ing effort, che rate for such calls VIII
be about one-fourth greater than the
"station to station rate.
The minimum tperson to person
rate will be zoe and no person TO
person" calls Will be accepted where
the station to station rate Is less
than 15c.
Another interesting feature of the
Postmaster Generals order is the es-
tablishmeut of an appointment
rate" The appointment rate" will
apply to toll calls, made on per
son to person" basis, on which the
calling party, in placing the call, des-
ignates a definite time at which he
will talk with the called party and on
which the conversation is held at the
specified time.
Obviously the appointment" SER
vice involves the making of the ap-
pointment in addition TO the operat-
ing effort necessary to complete a
person to person call: Conse-
quently the appointment rate IS
about one-half greater than the sta
ton to station" rate which, it must
be borne in mind, is the base rate up
on which all rates for the various
classes of service offered, are COM
puted
The minimum appointment rate
will be 25 cents and no appoint
ment" call will be accepted where the
"station to station" rate is less than
Is cents
A messenger call' rate is also
provided in the new regulations.
When a toll call is made on per
son to person" basis and messenger
service is required to secure the at
tendance of the designated person at
the nearest available telephone, the
messenger call" rate. which Is the
same as the appointment" rate, Will
apply An additional charge IS made
for the messenger service. The min
imum messenger eall' rate will be
25e and no messenger CALI will be
accepted where the station to sta
ton" rate IS less than l5e.
To provide reasonable compensa-
ton for the operating work perform
i ed on toll calls, other than those made
on station to station" basis, where
/ the desired connection is established,
/ but conversation is not held because
J, of any reason beyond the control of
the telephone company, report
charge" win be made. This charge
also is a new feature in telephone
practice. The report charge" will
be equivalent to about one-fourth of
the "station to station" day rate. In
no case viii the report charge be
less than ten cents, nor more than
$500. OF course, the maximum IRE
port charge" will apply only on calls
of great distances.
As stated, the 24-hour day is divid-
ed into three periods with varying
rates. but it rlust be understood that
day rates" will apply on all calls,
other than those made on station
to station" basis. whether they are
made during the day, evening or
night,
In other words, the reductions al
lowed during the periods when the
evening rate and the might rate
is in effect. viii apply only on sta
ton to station" calls, and the mini
mum reduced rate for such calls Is
25e
The evening" rate win be in force
from 5 80 D m. to II midnight. The
rates during this period, ON station
to station" calls only, will be about
one-half of the station TO station
day rates.
The might" rate viii be in force
from 1900 midnight to 4.30 a, m
The rates during this period, on sta
ton to station" calls only, viii bs