The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-09-06
(Br the Manager of the .scrmce.,


Referring communication of Mr. Wesley onsop concern
s inc proposed increase for telephone
"A telephone system such as we have in Columbia is public
service corporation which the citizens and patrons exchange
vtalb interested"
We heartily agree that patrons who support utility by paying
Inc service they vtal interested utility if they
are wise hy want the utility to receive living that they
get good service but if contributes nothing the support
uny though he may occasionally
service W ~ ~ ff $50
" However than glad give any the information
Mr. Johnson asks for If he had accepted invitation and come to
The ohce he could have few minutes and
thus saved himself some trouble and notoriety
lie asks What the Columbia Telephone
COmpany?"
FOR the year ending June 80 1921 the plant
were S62o9L68 and the of s7oO86g2
part Of which have contributed BY Mr. Johnson
lhe expenses were s72ll8.l5.
Thus the expenses s2O323 more than the receipts
mn lhe President and Manager of the business paid salary s
VVo year. the as he received the Com
IN The salary OF the President and Manager year. long before the
war; but this the only the production of telephone
ha asn increase in cost from 30 than per
Mr. Johnson further asks What individual salaries paid
he ofe force the telephone girls and the repair men?"
The Supernenden of the telephone system covering territory
about 20 miles square. is paid $1,000 year.
The people of Columbia the Superintendent and
Nshi plant covering about 3 miles square, $1,000 year.
Another employee of the telephone system is capable of and
oe efficiently assist in department where needed paid s6O
paid sl75 a month"; ""' iNF'' p'''' %
IT, switchboard man in the telephone system paid month
Inc regular neman roubman telephone system arc paid
Sis $llO and 500 eac regular ncman Of the Wafer and
Light plant is paid sl35 month.
Presumably the several other assistants or helpers empoyed in
Dom plants are paid in about the proportion
ihe Secretary and Chief Bookkeeper telephone system is
paid SIS month The and Chief tkkeeer Of the W
and Light plant paid Sl75 MONTH The two assistant
IN Inc telephone system paid $50 so MONTH while the two
assistants in the Wafer and Light Office paid 500 and $40
ihe are the salaries and paid cmuoycs in the reponc
service and those paid by the people of similar employees
IN the Water and Light service.
of AUrusi
' odUf each including the chief oFcrator needed or
% 10 handle The business properly and will put on as soon
Us Inc additions TO the switchboard making are compIc,ed T
we can give good service gave before The war b NJ
I"s" n became so Wiay Interested But this viii the pay
'oi' LOT lot operators to about $4,000 or per month.
Then Mr. Johnson Compare the rates now heinz d :;
III WI WIN similar rates for like service charged other cities of
IKE sH Mober Mexico, Boonyie. Sedal and Jefferson Civ
Inc service gwen by these places all like"
given at Columbia In The egjpmeni no, The s,u
cas with the Columbia system Then while the population Mober
ABOUT the same as the citizens population Columbia
the student transient population greatly intensifes the u of
the telephone in Columbia that there as many calls
per telephone in Columbia there oberl Then Moev has
less telephones than there the Columbia system and the Mobey
system does not anything like territory as is covered
by the Columbia system In other words the system covers the
town OF MOber or miles square, probably 20 or q miles
OF pole lines and underground owning speak Of if any
beyond the city Limits while Columbia systcm covers CoIb I'D
the surrounding country from Is miles in every drcc
on territory equang about 20 square, with extensive un
ground cable and about 800 miles of pole lines This i I
Territory than is covered by the exchange service of St ouis o ~
oef city exchange in Missouri and of telephones scattered
all this large territory and the thousands of d, go "
ll we are called 10 give double per telephone than
Is required at Moberly and the towns referred tn
Then isn't perfectly plain that to maintain and opra,e
plant with about 300 miles of pole wire
territory oil about 400 miles, than does plant of 20 or
% miles OF pole lines. covering 8 or 9 square miles?
these the differences between Mobey The same
true OF Sedaa and Jefferson City About towns sin
denis excepted but the Columbia telephone times
as much territory and therefore really larger than the
telephone systems all the natuv costs
more to operate per telephone
Mr. Johnson further Iow average rates of these
hive cities with in Coumba?" Well Moberly
with 700 less telephones and covering small fraction territory
covered by the Columbia service and putting
calls telephone Columbia has to up is and has
been Tor several SiO0 and r
residence Columbia $500 for business residence
The substantially Scdaa except that one Of the
Sedala plants has telephones than Mobey the other Sedaia
plant gets s55O Tor business But this Sedaia The
business people of Sedaia compelled both telephones 50
that their telephones costing them $3.50 agains, $500 in Coum.
ba
is fair that the business people of Mobery
asking that the be reduced $3.50 and the
phone people have appealed the collecting the full
of s40O and s225
Jefferson City has 900 less telephones Columbia Covering the
city only probably square miles, against square miles
covered by the Columbia and s25 with
discount of Is cents if paid by the 5ih of the month
absurd talk of the Columbia system places
like Mexico and Boonvie where the telephone
payey small and lines speak extending
the limits Might well compare Columbia Cenia which
has 900 telephones Mexico las and BoonvIe 2 Columbia
3l98 and $50 waiting installation The people
50 for business and 81 for residence service Columbia