Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-28
Frederic Haslxin's Letter
NEW YORK,S HELLO TROUBLE.

Benedict, another prominent New
Yorker who is lifting mp his voice
against the telephone service. says
that If the telephone company Will
not adopt relief measures OF us
own volitio1, it should DO compelI-
ed to return to its subscribers some
part at least of the yearly service
charge. He can see no reason why.
II a subscriber. calls Q number and
can get no response in from 5 10
20 minutes, his time thus wasted
should be paid for by the company.
in part at least.
All OF this agitation. SO unusua!
on the part Of the habitually placid
New Yorker, was precipitated by
three important occurrences:
First, the publishing OF report
by the public service commission
upon the incompetency OF the tele-
phone service, which showed
among other things. that there are
upwards of $4,000 applications for
telephones now untitled In New
York city. Second, the occurrence
of a IRE. in which the delay in get
ting word over the telephone con-
| corning its outbreak resulted IN
serious loss Of life. At least, SO
! declared an official OF the fire de-
partment, although the telephone
| company, in a series OF advertise
ments in the local newspapers, pro
tested that this was not true. Last
| but not least, came the company's
calm assumption OF censorship o.
messages during the recent nu
epidemic when it was short OK op.
orators. At this time it announced
that its operators were instructed
to listen to the public's converse,
ton and to cut it off In favor o.
other calls whenever they consid
cred it necessary. This censorship
experience shows, is still going on
although the company holds out thu
hope that it will not have to b'
continued as a permanent thing.
In excusing this, as we'll as othel
atrocities of its service, the tele
phone company calls attention u
the tremendous size Of the CIT!
and the huge equipment needed 10
its system of communication. l
acknowledges that its presen
| equipment is entirely inadequate
to handle New York's 4.15O,O0'
calls a day, but it cannot get an!
more under present conditions. l
admits, also, that it has not sum
Gent operators, but pleads the ex
cuse that it could not foresee sucl
a tremendous increase in bushes
AN increase which it could yer.
we'll get along without. Finally, !
places the entire blame for inefiici
ency upon the war and the regim
of the postmaster general. which
i it claims, injured its facilities
This, it claims, is a fact. in spit
of the public's claim that the teie
phone service in New York cit
during the war. while not as goo
as before, was ten times more elm
Gent than it is now.
! It's telephone operators are wei
paid, the company asserts. $15
week being the minimum wage
which is paid during a week o
schooling, and this is increased t
s25.47 a week after six years Q
| service. Recently it has been pay
! ing a SIS bonus to each employ
who succeeds in bringing in a ne'
telephone operator recruit.
= The report of the public servic
commission, which is largely re
sponsible for the popular uprisln
against the telephone department
quotes the same wages, but it say
| it is to be regretted that the com
pany did not establish this stand
ard sooner. While a small IN
crease in pay runs into millions.
comments the report, ''the commits
sion cannot but be impressed wit
the thought that the company ha
cherished too dearly its policy of
fixed annual dividend Of 8 per cen
, to its stockholders, and that unde
the present exigencies it should.
necessary, be willing temporaril
) to forego to some extent this es
tablished return in order to recon
struct it's service.
One Of the interesting feature
of the situation is the fact that tn
public service commission maxim
this report is the upstate commits
sion, having a statewide jurisdit
ton over telephones. although tn
down-state commission is suppose
to look after utility affairs in tn
city of New York. In other word
the state is leading the fight fo
the improvement Of the city's telt
) phone service, and not the cit
iself. It has taken New Yorker
at least two weeks after the pull
: fishing of the report to becom
fully aroused.
Now, at last. the indications fC
t a city rebellion against its excruc
ating telephone service appes
? most encouraging to the QUITO
town visitor. but the old-timers al
!, dubious. When questioned as
= the outcome of the controvers
I they reply with a cynical shrug.
"Oh, it'll all blow over" said or
: such, pessimistically. the other da
I as he hung up his telephone recei'
|. er with the usual beaten EXPIRE
: sion. New York can't stay ma
r After while everybody will g
s tired of the dispute and settle dow
: to wait for some outside force
: come along and change things. ju
I as they waited for the sun and raj
8 to wipe away the recent blizzar
In my opinion. there's little no,
! OF q better telephone service hel
: until the wireless phone is perfec
t ed, and we can all carry our Or
vate telephone around in our pool