New-York tribune., 1919-01-31
Hotel Phone
Calls Go Back
To Ten Gents
l'roprietors' Association Add
Extra 'Service" Charge,
Despite Burleson's Order
~Oyerhead' " as Too Great
Homogeneous Say Lines
We're Operated al Loss,
Except to Actual Guests

Telephone calls from New York City
hotels went back 10 10 cents this week
on Recommendation Of the Hotel As
sociatlon Of New York City, IN spite of
Postmaster General Burleson's scent
order o. December l.
Hotel men say the extra five cents
Is service charge. and that there IS
no increase in the cost of q telephone
call. winch is stin cents. But those
SNUG little booths and white doors not
20 mention the we'll manicured opera
tor ana other things, are worth an
extra nickel.
Report to Association
The teleDhone committee Of the Hotel
Association, of which Fred a. Muschen-
hem is chairman, issued the following
report 20 It's members this week:
When the Postmaster General issued
his order that from December !, 1918,
that al telephone calls from hotels
should De charged al public pay sta
ton rates we recommended that the
order be obeyod until further advised.
We Immediately caused a thorough
analytical study 10 be made Of the
telephone conditions. receipts, charges
in hotels. and this conclusiyely showed
chat. after making proper allowance
for re value Of hotels OF their own
service as distinguished from paid
guests service, they would sustain a
heavv loss in furnishing telephone ser
vice over their own private subscrlb-
er's system at public pay station rates.
Several weeks ago we submitted
these figures 70 the Postmaster Gen
eral n support OF a request that ne
modify his order, but he has not re
piled.
meanwhile the hotels have been
furnishing q public service at tre-
nendous loss Tdls loss IS furth
aadded 10 because. under the new toll
schedule effective January y 1919, the
hotels are charged the same rate for
toll calls Is they charge the guest.
whereas. previous to the new tou
schedule being made effective, the sub
scribers' rate charged by the telephone
company to hotels on certain suburban
-oll calls was five cents less than the
charge made at all public telephone
pay stations, the public telephone pay
station rates being properly charged
bV the hotels on these calls Under
the new method OF charging for toll
service no margin is provided to pay
for the service rendered by the hotels
on what was formerly known as sub
urban tcll traffic
livery telephone message to and
hotel itself. Of the private telephone
equipment rented from the telephone
~onnany. Of additional equipment
such as booths. telaUtograp etc.),
owned bv the hotel, and the personal
service of switchboard operators and
others whose compensation Is paid
bv the hotel. Al these agents arc
furnished and maintained By the hotel
n its own expense in order to put
&1,- y
tne telephone system maintained By
the telephone company
scent Service Charge
For these facilities and this serv-
Ice YOU are entitled TO q reasonable
compensation. just as the telephone
company is for the service which it
renders.
w therefore recommend that for
every outgoing telephone message you
make a service charge Of cents, IN ad-
dlfion to the regular pay station toll
charge for the message sent.
The committees estimate Of losses
If no service charge is made, is based
on figures for the last year. The esti-
mated losses for the following hotels
are: Astor. 554.T calls, s16,S70; Belle
claire, S7,264 calls, S5.518: The Bilt-
more. S6O,elp calls. S30,93995; McAlpin.
7Sf..s' calls, $59.66L04 Park Avenue.
$500 calls. $4,000; Vanderbilt, 3A8. $50
calls. $l3.057; Waidorf-Astoria, SIP. .O0Q
calls SSi.sio; Woodward, 1913 calls,
S276s
Tho telephone committee recon-
Wealea tas. notices be posted near the
booths. explaining why the calls had
7oon increased 10 ten cents, but yes
'esday few hotels had complied Tclc-
0nono operators did most Of tho OK
planning. They say lew objections
wcro made
The Holel Association has submitted
figures 10 the state Public Service
oTa.lssloa. but the hearing viii not
he concluded for some tine