The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-09-03
THE TELEPHONE COMPANYS ARGUMENTS

The Maui Telephone Company has begun an advertising campaign
to convince the people of Maui tina. its proposed toll system is the only
fair way to run a telephone business. Why it did not start this educa-
tional work when it was advertising for popular good will some months
ago, is not apparent.
Possibly, however, the large number of protests from Maui people
when the true inwardness of the companys proposal became known,
has incnded the public utilities commission to look with disfavor on
a plan which would cut up the community of Central Maui into a num-
Der of separate communities. Perhaps it now feels Tat the only thing
to do is to convert the people to its way of thinking,
OF course the public cannot go into the technical features of the
argument. 1t cannot, for example, controvert the Companys state
ment that if a far rate be imposed instead of the toll system which the
company wants TO introduce, the rental for each phone would have to
be at least 81 per month in order to meet the requirements. But it
can, and must indeed, trust to the public utilities commission to analyze
through the experts which it has it its command, it should be able to
find the flaws in the argument, if there be any.
But the people can do simple sums in arithmetic and can be skept-
ial until shown" They can, for instance, multiply the number of
phones in the companys system, 1850, by SO and discover that the
company thinks it needs $113,4OO per year to run its business. And
they can multiply by the present average rate, say 81, and find that
the company is now doing business for about $504O0 per year. They
may recall that the company claims to have sustained a loss of over
$4,000 on last years business, and that 1t wants to pay its employees an
average of 30 percent more than at present. And then a lot of these
people will wonder if it is going to require the $4,000 difference over
the present income to do all this.
The people of Maui kno7v that they want more rather than fewer
telephones; and a wider rather than less use of this means of communi-
cation. And a great many people honestly believe that more phones
should mean cheaper services.
A very great many persons will very strenuousy disagree with the
company as to the desirabiFty of reducing the use of telephones on
Maui from 23 to 34 of their present use. The company tells the
utilities commission that this is what it figures will be the result of the
toll system proposed.
years. 1t was a sacred privilege, some 20 or 80 years ago, to use a
phone or to rent one. The maxim then was-few phones and high
rates. But when the patents on the telephone expired, the thousands
of farmers" lines and independent systems which sprang up all over
the country soon brought the Bell organization to time, SO that today
the telephone is a necessity not only in business, but in almost every
family on the mainland.
. There is little doubt that the Maui public has made its position
the situation and to devise some plan that will satisfy the people ar
at the same time will be fair to the company. 1t is extremely ur"
that the people, however, will ever be willing to have Ce'
divided by the toll system proposed, or even to the six
proposed by the company.