Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1919-01-17
MANY AND VARIED
GRIEVANCES AIRED
Telephone Subscribers Lay Com
plants before Mr.. J. r. Porter,
General Manager Of the Home
Telephone Company.
BETTER SERVICE PROMISED

0nOrlly dller lne appearance
of the Herald Friday morning
things began to happen fast
AS the writer returned from
! lunch he was summoned to the
telephone by a party who failec
to disclose her indentity and was
"bawled" out for personal short
comings, and in addition for the
appearance of such awful
things about the operators"
which graced our editorial page
last week. After stating our po-
sition, as to the editorial and
otherwise, we resumed our work,
only to be. summoned again to
the telephone. This time, the
party calling was gracious
enough to inform US that she
was the Chief" Operator. Said
high parsonage was referred to
the editor, whom we have always
found to be capable of handling
his own affairs.
Chief" Operator informed
Mr.. Stainback if their (the Home
Company's) service was so rot
ten, the Manager ia very elusive
person. said they might cut out
the service of the Herald Pub
fishing Company unless apollo
gies were promptly forth coming,
and ordered our service discon-
tinued.
Not being able to get in touch
with the manager at Weldon, we
took the matter up with Mr.. Por-
ter, the General Manager of the
system and sent along with our
complaint a petition protesting
against the service Roanoke Rap
ids and Rosemary was getting,
signed by every business man in
town but one that was approach
ed.
Our telephone service was re-
instated Friday night at 700.
o'clock; the self appointed
Chief" Operator failing to noti-
fy our efficient night operator,
Mr.. Ben Stanley, that our ser
vice had been granted a leave of
absence.
Upon the receipt of the petit
ion and letters OF protest, Mr.
Porter called Mr.. Stainback over
ong distance and advised him of
lis plans to visit Roanoke Rap
ds Tuesday morning and asked
o meet a representative body OF
subscribers and talk over the
About 900 O'Clock Tuesday, |
when Mr.. Porter's presence here |
,ecame known, quite a number
# business men gathered in the
'ffice of Mr. j. 7. Chase and told
Mr.. Porter of their many and
'aried grievances, the principal
me of which being their inability |
o get Weldon anG long distance
within reasonable time. After
learing several complaints about .
ong distance calls, Mr.. Porter
tated that while he did not come
o Roanoke Rapids to make eX-
uses, he did not feel that all the .
ong distance trouble was due to
perators, part of it being caused
" not having ample switch board .
ccommodations: that during the +.
var, the War Industries Board +.
would not allow them to buy ad-
itional equipment; that since
he signing Of The armistice and
he release OF material he had se-
ured the promise of the Western
electric Company % ship an ad-
|itional unit for the long dis
ance board at Weldon, and that
lie expected to have the new
init in operation within ninety
lays.
Mr.. Porter also promised that
within a short time he would !
end special instructors to both |
he Roanoke Rapids and Weldon
Exchanges, and that with the
ympathetic cooperation of'sub-
cribers, he felt the telephone
ervice of our community would
'e greatly improved.
An interesting development in
he matter of our service being
Ii continued by the Chief" OPP |
rator, is that on Friday after
loon last, the real Chief Opera
or was at her home in Emporia