The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-03-11
TELEPHONE co. is
NOW MAKING ITS
RUNNING EXPENSE
During Year There Was Gain
of 62 installations; Manager
Not Advised of What
Mutual Will do.

Telephones in use on Maui increas
ed by 62 for the year 1920 it was re-
ported at the annual meeting of the
Maui Telephone Company held last
week at which the same officers and
directors were reelected. Manager
Brown says that this compares with
a gain of 143 instruments during 1919
and that it reflects losses from all
causes, as well as the change of rates
and the putting into operation of the
toll system in Central Maui.
The six months experiment with the
system now in operation will end April
l and inquiry was made OF Manager
Brown yesterday on the working of
the system, whether the number OF
installations had increased or de
creased and whether the company was
making expenses and profits under
such system.
Gain During Year
Manager Brown told of the increase
of 62 phones in the year and of the
increase of 143 the previous year. He
said that recently the increased rates
and the toll system had not been Civ
Nll do NduStS ny SubStllD w -lO' Viz
continued but recently a number o.
subscribers had assigned reduce
bonuses from the plantations as rea
son for ordering instruments out Sew
raj Instruments were ordered out at
the plantation at Hama, the reason
ocered being curtailment OF expenses.
AS to meeting operation costs, Mr..
Brown said that the company was now
making expenses but was not yet max
ing profits. He expected some profit
would be shown in the near future. Re
lative to the plans of Mutual ~Tele-
phone Company, whether it would ask
for continuance of the experimental
system put in operation October l or
would ask changes from the utilities
board he had not been advised The
utilities board had had reports each
month and could see for itself whether
the plan was working as expected. 1t
might order further continuance or
might call for another hearing, he
said.
N0 Complaints Received
No member of the Chamber of Com
merce committee on Telephone Rates
has received any written complaints
on teh telephone charges now in opera
through Maui News two weeks ago
that those who might be dissatisfied
communicate with the committee or
any of its members. That report was
made by the committee to the meet
ing of the chamber yesterday. There
remain only three weeks of the eX-
detrimental period and if action from
the committee is desired any who may
be dissatisfied should make the fact
known to the committee. In the alb
sence of complaints it is not to be
expected that the committee VIII take
any action on the counter plan it had
ready to offer.
Some Relief Expected
Following the report Of the com
mittee to the Chamber of Commerce
President Penhallow supplemented
the report by saying that he believed
some relief would be found for the
situation in Makawao whence the
chief complaints had arisen. Mr.. Pen
hallow is also a director of the Maui
Telephone Company and said the mat
ter had been subject of some dis
cussion at the annual meeting. Maka
wac is one of the smaller sections OF
the company so far as number OF
users go and that he believed the dis
trict would be extended, the zone en-
lerged.
One member who lives in Makawao
said that he kept track of all mess
ages sent from his house and in one
month he had to pay toll for every
message.
The question of whether the COM
pany was seeking TO pay for all i'm
proyements from earnings was asked
and MI Penhallow explained the meth
cd employed worked out the same as
if bonds were issued and interest and
sinking fund provided from the earn
ings 1t was evident, however, that
the present system is not popular
with numbers of the members.