New-York tribune., 1920-02-14
Receivership
Threatened for
N. PhoneC Co.
Cuvillier Says He Will Start
Proceedings Unless Rea-
son for Poor Service Is
Given to Assembly. Soon
His Resolution Laid Over
Public Service Commission
States 10000 Applicants
Here Await installations
From a. staff correspondent

Here Await installations
From Staff Correspondent
ALBANY, Feb. 13.-Unless the Public
Service Commission sends a report to
the Assembly within few days setting
forth the reason for inadequate tele-
phone service in New York city, AS
semblyman Louis Cuvillier will start
court proceedings against the New
York Telephone Company with a view
to having receiver appointed. Mr..
Cuvillier in making this announcement
to-day said he had been informed by
the Public Service Commission that
10000 families or business firms in
New York city are unable to get phone
service installed.
Resolution Laid Over
"Three weeks ago." said Mr.. Gu
villier, II introduced resolution re-
questing the Public Service Commits
sion of the I'd District to report to the
Assembly on or before February 10:
1.-THE reason for the inadequate
and inefficient service of the New
York Telephone Company in New
York.
"2.-The reason for the refusal of
the New York Telephone Company
to install hundreds of telephones in
the city of New York on the applica-
tion of citizens.
"3.-lf the operators and employees
were required to work over hours and
receive inadequate pay
Aft the franchise, plant and
capital were sufficient to meet the
demands of the City of New York for
this service.
This resolution, tfter being intro
duced, was laid over at the request of
the Public Service Commission of the
I'd District. l was told by officials
of the company that the telephone
company was unable to get material
for the installation of telephones. /
asked them the reason and they said
the New York Telephone Company OBJ
talns its material supplies from the
Western Electric Company, of which
they are the owners. 1 said that if
they were unable to relieve this emer-
gency they should have the material
MANUFACTURED outside of their own
plant. For instance, the Westinghouse
Electric Company and the General Elec-
trlc Company, of Schenectady. They
said they had not thought of that.
"The commission told me that the
company's service had fallen down be
cause Of conditions caused by the war.
1t was conceded by tlac commission that
the telephone company was the only
pubic service concern in New York
which failed to maintain it's efficiency
in spite Of the war, that its service had
come to be necessity, no less than
those of the others and that the stock
or the telephone company was paying
8 per cent.
I'm reply to my suggestion that an
automatic telephone system be installed
the commission said that the company
was trying to do so, but did not think
IL wise IN the present financial situa-
ton @ to try to float the $3,o0o,OO0 loan
that would be necessary.
II was told that the company was
about ready to limit its subscribers to
tive minutes conversation at each call
unless they chose to pay extra. Wom-
en- were using the telephone wires for
gossip, was the reason given, some
times barring all other members Of a
party-line group from the telephone
for three quarters of an hour.
In my argument before the COM
mission | pointed to the disruption of
business and declared that the health
and safety of the community was i'm
perilled The Legislature had dele
gated its power to correct such evils
to the commission, l said and it was
up to the commission to do something
or the Legislature would.
"Unless there is report from the
commission within q few days I shall
move to advance my resolution and
ask the cooperation Of all the people
of the city of New York in improving
the service. AS a last resort I shall
advise the telephone subscribers in
New York City to petition the court
for receiver to conduct the business
of the telephone company in an eff
cicnt manner"
Officials of the New York Telephone
Company refused to comrY Mt last
night on Assent blyman Cuvil.4r's state
ment.
Corporation Counsel Burr was asked
it application for receiver for tho
company could be made by the state
authorities.
"Ofhand, | am not in position to
state positively" he replied. "It would
appear, however, to be a matter en-
tirely in the hands of the Public Ser.
vice Commission"