Evening journal., 1922-01-07
LOOKING into
Phone DETAILS
Company Officials Explain
Business TO Utility Board
AT Hearing
REVIEW COMES
UP ON REQUEST

vance payment for phone service.
installation charges and directory
listing charges were presented be-
fore the members OF the Board OF
Public Utility Commissioners at their
meeting last night by representatives
Of the Diamond State Telephone
Company who appeared before the
body in response TO a request made
by the board last month.
The only witness heard was Albert
II. Osterman. general commercial
superintendent Of the telephone COM
pany. Robert V. Marye, general
counsel Of the company, conducted
d he legal side for the company end
Assistant City Solicitor p. Warren
Green represented the board The
telephone company was also repre-
sented by Andrew c. Gray. OF local
counsel for the company; J. L. Kill
patrick. assistant vice-president; c.
W. Hazard. general auditor; F. j.
Chesterman. chief engineer and r.
p. Bardo, Wilmington district man.
ager.
In his testimony. Mr.. Osterman
set forth that a great many sub
scrbers retain their telephone SER
vice for but short periods. The aver
age age OF existing phones in ser
vice is fifty months and the average
age with short-period phones Is
twenty-seven months. Changing OF
telephones. he eaid. entails much ex-
pense. and he asserted that IL is un-
fair 10 allow the short-period sub
I scribers to get more benefit than the
fon~ar narfoT cfrhaorfhcrg
Under the old plan. under which
no connection charges we're made, a
contract for one years service was
entered into with the subscriber, or
short-term rates charged, Mr.. Oster-
man pointed out.
Regarding the advance payment
for service installation. Mr.. Green
asked Mr.. Osterman: New custom
ers, then. pay you for giving you
a business?"
Mr.. Osterman's reply was Yes"
r A summary Of ascertained average
costs for service connections" based
b on a study made last August. Sep
tember and October. was given the
r board by Mr.. Osterman. II showed
s the costs in the commercial. ac-
Y counting. traffic and plant depart
4, ments. for the re-establishment OF
Z service and disestabiishments Of
service
For establishments. the total
, costs in the four departments are:
New installation-s1.27 for main
station or private branch trunk and
{ 40 cents for extension or private
- branch exchange station: s4.49 for
ia aHn
a change trunk and s3.62 for extern
y sion or private branch exchange
To- station.
4 Re-connection-4 cents for main
p station or private branch trunk:
r. s3.17 for extension or private branch
J. exchange; weighted average: S2.4e
t for main station or private branch
trunk and S1.59 for extension or
private branch exchange.
For dis-establishments Of service.
the total costs are: Removal,
y S10.1s for main station or private
y branch exchange trunk, and 1926
for extension or private branch ex-
change station disconnection-
d S1.99 for main station or private
d branch exchange trunk, and S1.06
Z for extension or private branch ex-
g change station; weighted average
. 1914 for main station or private
, branch exchange trunk, and s5.s1 for
/, extension or private branch ex-
!. change station.
IL was explained by Mr.. Ostermar
= that charge Of s. is made for in
: stallatlon Of a new phone, but thai
IL actually costs 80. charge o
p $3.50 is made for connecting a
phone that is already in place, al.
y though the actual cost in this cas'
= Is in excess OF $40.
= Mr.. Marye told the board that tn
reason a public utility collects II
advance for service is because the
amounts are so small that to coilec
on delinquents would cause an eN
: penditure more than II was worth
,s II collections on many delinquent
was necessary. Il would cause othe
subscribers TO pay for the denci' b!
in higher telephone rates. ne Sal.
When a subscriber fails to com
n ply with his contract, the telephon
n company allows a one-way servic
over his telephone; that is, It Wi
permit him TO receive calls for
Al short period after the breach Of con
y. tract but will not permit him {
" make calls. The service is continued
NJ il was explained, in the hope tina
AZ the subscriber would realize his rea
of need for the phone and could hav
h. reconnection made without addition
N al cost. During tho time OF the one
way service. no charge is made tn
L company set forth. Il had bee
n brought out earlier that a subscrih
IN er whose service was discontinue
1t for non-payment is permitted abou
twenty days before the disconnec
tion is madt.
Chairman John c. Foote cited in
- stances in which phones were al
n lowed to remain in two magistrates
- offices and that persons could cal
~ outside on the wires but no call
would he sent to the numbers. Tn
- company representatives felt tha
"a there had evidently been some mis-
:. understanding on the company's par
Mr.. Osterman explained that one
half the regular telephone servic
charges for listing is made for tn
,e listing OF a second party on a wir,
Three names are allowed 10 be liste
~ in the directory without additiona
~ charge on the telephone service D
ol the Office Of a company, firm. etc
ne But on a private wire. the one-hal
oi charge II made However, a perso
who wants his name listed as a Joint
IT. subscriber must be easily accessibl
by to the phono In the enfire cff,, q