The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-19

making the telephone company liable
Tor damages for inefficient service.
supreme Court Justice Russell Ben
ed1ct,. another prominent New Yorker
VINO Is lifting up his voice against the
telephone service, says that if the tele-
phone company will not adopt relief
measures of its own Volition, it should
pc compelled to return to it's subscrib-
ers some part at least of the yearly
service charge. He can see no reason
why, II a subscriber calls a number and
can get no response in from five to
twenty minutes, his time thus wasted
should not be paid for by the company,
in part at least.
-, All OF this agitation, so unusual on
the part of the habitually placid New
Yorker, was precipitated by three i'm
portant occurrences: First, the publish
ing OF a report by the public service
commission upon the incompetency Of
the telephone service, which showed,
among other things, that there are up
ward of $4,000 applications for tele-
phones now untitled in New York City.
Second, the occurrence of a fire, in
which the delay in getting word over
the telephone concerning its outbreak
resulted in serious loss of life. At
| least, SO declared an official of the fire
department, although the telephone
company, in series of advertisements
IN the local newspapers, protested that
this was not true. Last but. not least,
came the company's calm assumption
of censorship of messages during the re-
cent FLU epidemic when it was short
of operators. At this time it announced
that Its operators were instructed TO
listen to the public's conversation and
to cut 1t off in favor of other calls
whenever they considered it necessary
This censorship, experience shows, Is
still going on, although the company
holds out the hope that 1t will not have
to be continued as permanent thing.
In excuslng this, as well as other
atrocities OF its service, the telephone
company calls attention to the tremen-
dous size of the city and the huge
equipment needed for it's system Of
communication. 1t acknowledges that
us present equipment is entirely made
quate to handle New York's Also, 900
calls day, but it cannot get any more
under present conditions 1t admits
also, that 1t has not sufficient opera
tors, but pleads the excuse that it
could not foresee such a tremendous in
crease In BUSINESSMAN increase which
i could very well get along without.
FINALLY, 1t places the entire blame for
lnetficiency upon the war and the re-
glme of the postmaster general, which,
1t claims, injured its facilities. This, II
sWears, is fact, in spite of the pub
nc claim that the telephone service in
not as good as before was ten times
more efficient than it Is now.
Its telephone operators are we'll paid.
the company asserts, fifteen dollars a
week being the minimum wage, which
is paid during a week of schooling, and
TINS is increased to $25.47 week after
SIX years OF service. Recently IL has
been paying five-dolar bonus to each
employe who succeeds in bringing in a
rev telephone operator recfAit
The report of the public service com
mission which Is largely responsible for
THIS popular uprising against the tel
ephone department quotes the same
wages, but 1t says It Is to be regretted
that the company did not establish this
standard sooner. while q small in.
crease In pay runs into millions" com
ments the report, 1.-THE commission can
not but be impressed with the thought
that the company has cherished too
dearly lite policy Of fixed annual divi.
dend of eight per cent to it's stockhold-
ers, and that under the present exigen-
cies it should. II necessary, be willing
temporarily 70 foreRo 20 some extent
this established return in order to re-
construct its service ''
One, of the interesting features OF the
situation Is the fact that che public
service commission making this report
IS the up state commission, having q
statewide Jurisdiction over teleph ones.
although the down-state commission Is
supposed to look after utility affairs in
the city Of New York. In other words,
the state Is leading the fight for the
Improvement of the cltys telephone
service, and not the city itself. 1t has
taken New Workers at least two weeks
after the publishing of the report, to
become fully aroused,
Now, at last, the indications for
city rebellion against it's excruciating
telephone service appear most encour-
aging the out-of-town visitor, but
the old-timers are dubious. When ques-
toned as 10 the outcome of the con-
troversy, they Reply with q cynical
shrug
"oh. Hn on Glow over" saia one
such, pessimistically. che other day, as
he hung up his telephone receiver with
the usual beaten expression. View York
can't stay mad After a while, every
body will get tired OF the dispute. and
settle Own 90 wait for some outside
force TO come along and change things,
just as they waited for the sun and
rain TO wipe away the recent blizzard
In my opinion, there's little hope OF
better telephone service here until the
wireless phone Is perfected, and we
can all carry cur private telephone
around In our pockets"