The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-05-08
Charge
Phone
EAL! E!
Citizens of Everett
Up in Arms Over
Telechrononeter
and Big Bills


ENEHEIT. May Hs--Irifruro-
nometers that measure telephone
eonvcrraiiop ~ n gas meter
measures gas. only more 80. have
been in use here n month. and
people today arc sorc 10 the
point Of desperation.
Installed first I'm Everett on
the lines Of the Puget Sound
Telephone company 20 test hs
efficiency. the teIeehronometer.
II successful. it is intended. will
next be put In use in Seaftic.
Tacoma. Spokane and Portland.
That X has he~n and is rmiu~ntly
successfui from the eonpany's ftand.
point may BE- adduesA from the fol
lowing fnrf-.
Telephone bills this mouth are
enormous Some have increased .
third over last months bills. other.
hav. doubled. Others trchisd.
The company has no competition in
this field. Its franchise is exclusive.
n people want telephones they must
pay this company. or do without.
Formerly tho company charged q
fiat rate that was considered by
subscribers high. when tho tsl>-
ehronometcrs were installed the
company represented that the cost
OF service would bs materially cut.
Tho company has now sent pa.
irons their bills for 20 days OF tele.
chronomctered conversation The
result:
MRS. FIRED ARLINGTON. .sss
Grand. on n four.party line. learns
that IN 20 days ahe has talked ITO
'tsiecrones." or minutes. and owes
tho company siso. She formerly
paid 8, for the uss Of her phone 80
days.
WILLIAM BURY. s7;s Smith.
says. For tho 20 days. owe the
company si.70. A good many days
We used tho phone only once. Sew.
erri days we were not at home and
didn't use II at all. My old rate
was 81 a month"
MRS. !. u. BELL. s.s7 Fucker
MY bill Is far higher than ! es.
pected. We aren't ualng the phone
much now. The service IN not
good. My bin for the 20 days is
ts.ss. used 20 pay 81 n month.
I'll try II another month. then have
tho phone out IL this keeps up"
MRS. FRANK COOPER. wife of
the president OF the Citizens Ma
tional bank. got bill for 81 for
20 days and had tho phone taken
out.
GEORGE w. EDWARDS. aass
got a bill for $500. This included one
long distance call costing si.05. The
remainder was for 'teiecrones." His
former flat rate was 81 month.
MRS. w. II. GRIFFITH. 23is 25th
II haven't used my phono much.
but my bill reads 1896 for tho 20
days. have been paying 81 a
month"
MRS. ROY J. FAULkNOR, ala
cedar--"My bill is si.s5. but / don't
use my phone hardly at all. That's
the reason. | don't like this system
at all My daughter.in-law owes 1878
for the 20 days. We've both been
paying 81 a month"
MRS. q. =. ROSE. 1924 wetmore,
got bill for 1915 for the 20 days.
THE RUCkER AVE. GROCERY
reports that their bill is no more than
their old flat rate bill. There may
be fcwvr cnlis from the outside" said
the proprietor Il haven't kept track.
When people cali up TO give me an
order they tell me what they want
quick and then hang up. No, I don't
get much chance TO ask them II
there isn't something else they'd like
this morning"
v. n. LARISH, 1908 Baker. said
his wife used the phone just once n
day for the 20 days. She and her
sister took turn about calling each
other up. 20 even up their bills. The
telechoronometer registers only "out
calls" Larish got n bin for 1926
for the 20 days and told the company
to come and get their phone.
X. J. FAUSsETT. city attorney.
said the company represented TINT
his bill would be cut from 81 TO
s1,7o, In all likelihood. Instead.
he got bill for the 20 days for
,a.gO. "And we've been curtalling
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