The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-08-10

most progressive and up-to-date COM
munities
The intricate organization which Is
required TO make it possible for yodl
in every corner of the district to at
any time. day or night. to have a sup
ply or gas or electricity ready 20 light
your home or cook a meal or have
available at will. service for any OF
the thousand uses TO which gas and
electricity may be put today Is not an
easy thing 70 build up Here Is n
service brought to your very door and
always on tap with which as TO con-
venience, nothing can compare with
the possible exception or that other
great servant OF the public. the modern
telephone I believe I could show you
that even the marvellous telephone can
not compare with gas and electricity
as an economic factor in the building
UP Of your community, taking into
consideration the intricacy and COM
plexity OF the organization required
to supply gas ana electric service 70
the community.
Little do most users OF gas and cleo
tricity realize the hardshps which the
employees OF the company must some
times endure 70 maintain the efficien-
cy Of tho service. During severe
storm. there are many times when line
! gangs must work long hours to pre-
vent an interruption 70 the service or
70 restore the service il interrupted.
when zero weather prevails and the
gas pressure is necessarily low under
certain conditions. little do people real
ize the dozens OF men who are forced
to scour the district in more or less
physical danger IN order 70 Fhaw out
frozen pipes and restore service. Lit
tie do most people realize in order that
they may have at all times gas ser
vice in their kitchen, il Is necessary
for men to work half naked before
roaring furnaces at times when the
rest OF US possibly enjoy basking IN
the cool breeEes OF the north winds.
| believe that fun realization Of
these facts on the part OF the people
OF the district could not but help
create a spirit OF tolerance toward
public service corporation which !
can conscientiousiy say j. trying TO the
best Of it's ability to give to its con-
sumers a gas and electric service
which few communities OF It's Size can
equal and Rhich certainly none can
excel.
To most OF you the Gas Company
means a concern to whom you mail
check once month or at whose Of
nee you drop In and push some money
into the cashiers cage. To some Of
you. il Is a company who occasionally
sends around a fellow TO your home
with a monkey wrench with which he
forces from your wife a promise to
Jack you up for not mailing that check.
Sometimes. ii Is a company which APP
pears rather arbitrary in its irsistance
on having its bills paid, although i
may have failed sometimes 70 have
changed your address on its books or
X may have failed 20 mail the bill
TO your office instead Of delivering II
at your home; or il may be that you
know absolutely that the fellow who
reads your meter simply guesses what
your bill ought 70 be. or II he does
read the meter, the bill is so high that
the meter must be wrong.
! could go on indefinitely stating
phases of the company's work as an
appeal 70 the general public. but SUI
hce it IL for me to say that no chain
is stronger than its weakest link and
II it were possible for the company %
employ high salaried men to act a.
meter readers. ledger clerks. and as
other routine help. a good many OF
these unfortunate and regretable er-
ros might be obviated, however. we
are a business concern. nothing more.
nothing less and in handling our S0.-
coo 10 35. 900 accounts. there must exist
a system whereby things are held in
their proper relation, one TO the other,
and / would bespeak your tolerance
and cooperation in our effort TO do
this and If one or more of our EN-
ployes in their demeanor towards you
proves himself inefficient. please tell US
about them that We may have the
opportunity 10 correct the ineficiercy
but. on the other hand, be fair 20 the
fellow who is honestly trying to live
up to what is taught him being the
policy Of the concern Tor which ne
works. and tell the company the good
things you have noted in this fellows
conduct and relations towards you.
You never know what a good word
spoken for a conscientious empioye. es
peciaIly those at the bottom Of the lad
der. will mean to this employee in his
Efforts to better himself in the COM
panys employ and in his standing in
the community. A courteous tele-
phone operator a considerable street
car conductor, a conscientious meter
reader an efficient salesman. an at
tentive bookkeeper should receive the
recognition deserved. but the company
must know about the public's know
ledge OF these things before they can
know 1t themselves.
There are certain phases OF the COM
pany's system which cannot but APP
pear arbitrary to those who may look
upon the surface OF things. Perhaps
one OF the most conspicuous Of these
N your mind is the making Of a min
imum charge Of service. j shall at
tempt in a few words to Justify this
as l find it 70 be a great source OF
irritation especially to that class OF
consumer whose monthly bills would
otherwise be less than Sl.O0.
In order to supply service, ~ is
necessary to make a certain invest
nent but at our works. on the street
and on the consumers premises. In
order to maintain service at this con-
sumers premises. we must keep in OPP
Grafton at our works certain machin-
cry which requires a certain amount
of attendance regardless TO wneth-
er any service is actually used not.
frark