The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-12-03
Wireless Phone
Service Is Near
Mutual Company Explains Relation
ship Between Toll Rates on Maui
and Service from Island to Island
of the Group. \
Rainfall 0.S1 inches.

Satisfaction with the way the toll
system is working out on Maui and a
belief that before the period of trial
had ended Maui users will no longer
have objections to il were expressed
= by f. G. Hummell, manager, and j. A.
Balch, treasurer, of the Mutual Tele-
phone Company in the course of a
conversation with member of the
Chamber of Commerce toll rates COM
mittee in Honolulu on Tuesday. They
took the opportunity at the same
time to tell something of the COM
pany's plans for inter-island phone
communication, especially as applied
TO Maui, the plan being to connect up
this Island with Oahu first.
Both Mr.. Hummell and Mr.. Balch
feel that the opposition to the toll
system has been unfair to the com
pany and both insist the plan in opera
ton was the only feasible one and was
necessary to meet the payrolls of the
company and to insure any return on
the investment.
AS to working of the plan they show
ed letter from Manager Brown of
the Maui Company in which, under
date of November 27, he wrote that
the revenue for November would be
about $400 in excess of what was esti-
mated as the monthly revenue that
would be raised by the system now in
vogue. They also said they were in
formed that several who lad ordered
phones out at the end of November
had cancelled the order. They main
tain that the burden in the new sys-
TEN falls upon the larger users and
not the home phone users. They also
say that Oriental merchants now pay
, a just proportion.
Revenue Secured
Manager Brown verified what was
Nsaid by them in regard to the work
ing out of the plan now in vogue, as
10 revenue being received, cancella-
kion of some orders for removal, etc.
YThe revenue for the month was about
l$65OO.
1 Neither Mr.. Hummell nor Mr..
Balch seem to grasp the point that in
Central Maui the objection is not one
of dollars and cents but to breaking
down of the community spirit and
community life. Both dwelt on the
point that it will be found more econ
omical to the average user than
would be the necessary increase in
fiat rates if the company were to be
made self-sustaining in that way.
Relative to figuring on depreciation
of the Maui building and placing its
life as fifteen years they said it might
be expected that the building would
be outgrown in that time and the
equipment have to be duplicated while
a move was made. They told of plans
for increasing and improving trunk
lines and for improving and enlarging
the system.
lnter-Island Service
AS to the matter of inter-iSland
communication a large number of
letters were shown and the plans
generally told.
According to an announcement
pade to the StarBulletin the same
day, specifications and request for
prices were sent to the Western Elec-
trio Company As days ago and upon
receipt of a favorable reply installa-
ton will be begun Immediately of
apparatus designed for wireless tele-
phone communication between the is
lands.
r. l.. Cooke, superintendent OF the
wireless department, returned from
a trip to Kauai where he Inspected
the wireless plants with the idea OF
a wireless telephone construction in
mind.
1t will be possible to use the pres
ent system of masts and antennae at
the various stations of the company
with but slight alterations. The in
stallation of wireless telephone in
struments will cost the company many
thousands of dollars and it is for this
reason that so much care is being
taken in ordering The fact that the
company has a deal with commercial
business necessitating that it stay in
service hours each day, makes 1t I'M
possible to do much experiment work.
Feasibility Demonstrated
4 The famous wireless telephone
Station at Catalina island which broke
into prominence a few months ago
when a conversation was carried on
between the island station and the
home of William Wrigley, Jr,, Chicago
millionaire, has given impetus TO IN
terest in wireless telephony through
out the world. The Catalina island
station sent the wireless conversation
TO the mainland and from there by
direct metalli5 connection to Chicago.
However, the claim has been adVanc-
ed that word from the Catalina station
ha sheen received as far as SOO miles
away and the instrument to be INSTALL
ed by the Mutual Telephone Company
will mean easy connection by wireless
throughout the territory and with
ships at sea as far out as 800 miles.
The first experiment will be carried
on from Honolulu to Wailuku, Maui
after the instruments arrive. Follow
ing the successful experimentation
here the company will proceed to in
stall the wireless telephone apparatus
in its other stations, The cost of each
installation is estimated at in excess
of $4,000.
"The surprising feature of the Wire