Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-12-28
Less W aste
telephone
Firm sNeed
Five Men Spend Day
and Half INSTALLING
Phone Already II
Operation

Asking whether the revision nee
| essary to make the Pacific States
Telephone & Telegraph company
pay profits on its investment in
| Oregon should not come through
| internal organization eliminating
waste and inefficiency in the COM
panys operations, rather than
through the increase in rates asked
by the company, averaging nearly
SO per cent, George Arenz, a Port
land subscribed to the company
service and former Salem resident
asks why five men, consuming a
day and half of the company
time, was needed to install a tele-
phone in his home.
Phone First in Use.
'rWhen / moved into the house
now occupy" said the subscriber
"the telephone had not been dis
connected and was ready for serV'
ice. Thinking that this service
would be continued without inter
ruption if l made Immediate apph
cation for a phone, l went to TN
, company's office, signed up for TN
service and paid the necessary Zee
AT this time l Informed the com
pany that there already was tele
nhone in the house in operation
and asked that the service be con
: timed without interruption.
"After an absence of two day
from the house we returned nom
and found that the telephone ma
been disconnected, but the lnstru
ment still remained in the hous'
dav or two later an employe G
tho telephone company came
tho house and said that he ha
heen sent to take the phone out
instrument Removed.
! "AIthough / protested that
had ordered a phone installed an
had maid for the installation an
f service fees, and pointed out IN,
n removal Of the instrument Wou,
: onIy mean that another woul
}. have to installed, the man expiaLi
r. cd that he only knew that ms " y.
n dore were to take the phone ou
This he did, spending between tN
a ond three hours at the Jop'
n "a few days later the coIhpai
: ,t tbird man to the house WI
n another telephone to be lnS,1iiI . y,
n This was about 1880 O'CLOCK III =, :,
ie ranrninq and, as it was so near u
J. noon hour, the man LETT the tei
l. hone saving that he would retu. @
1t IS rsao,. I,,pcb to install it. we hea
le aothing more about our telephoi
lie Until two days later when whe.Itaii seiii :, Il
other employe came to lns.s.i, S..1,bt
at nbone. This man also prousm' pyisl,, 4;
Of inst runent with him, but Wilen -
s, fornoed that one had already " :,
le ios. lo for installation, returned =
gs r.,.,,Tnent - he had brought 10 :
ID ihstruliiSai I.h;ob he carried his equi
II ment. - 1ostoIIed.
"After spending between ~ ~
ond four hours installing tne
90 ,ir,,nent the fourth man uis0e
- that the phone Woulu
or,, because the wires cohIlec'
+p,a house had been cut wiz
-. connect with the nam iliie
the pole outside He .,aing sa,d IN
:. Mad no pixies for climbing +oI, 81
III nole and left US with the ii'9''''
IL a1a,bone but no service. !,
another two or three "a. q,
d. anead before the fifth man ca
ed - make the connection on tns Z
en- ond ~ give us servise. A month I
ad eiansed el% since we moved into
lie SoTse p,Mpa where telephone service '
.ce n1readv established, before we !"
20: given use of the instruile,i', 1e,, m,
OF different men had put q 1s uas no ~,
he half of labor on a job where sS,,lS, ~
Of bor was needed and the .'si',is lelep'i' :
company lost a months SER SER :,
He on a line already esIaDiisiieU