The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-01-16
EXPERT DISCUSSES
TELEPHONE RATES
]. L. Crowley, Secretary of
Mimi. Ind. Tel. Co.'S. Meets
Com. Club Directors
COSTS MOUNT RAPIDLY
Municipal Plants Have Not
Been Financial Success
Service Poor

]. C. Crowley, secretary of the
Minnesota Independent Telephone
Companies, representing 100000
phone users. addressed the direct
ors of the Sank Centre Community
Club at q luncheon at the Palmer
House Friday noon.
Mr.. Crowley said there were 276
locally owned telephone exchanges
in the state, and that PIP of them
were members of the Independent
organization. He was enroute to
his home in st. Paul after bust
ness conference with Mr.. Wright,
owner of the Alexandria exchange.
The gentleman is veteran tele-
phone engineer and is very famil-
lar with every phase of the tele-
phone business.
Besides the telephone exchanges
mentioned above there are 1913
farmer owned and controlled lines
in the state serving 43 per cent
Of the farmers.
In discussing the rural lines he.
said that most of the farmer owned
lines were built about 20 years or
more ago, each subscriber contrib
uting a specified amount of money.
But little repair work had been
done since the lines were first con-
structed, over 70 per cent of the
original owners had either passed
on or had moved away, with the
natural result that the lines had
been allowed to deteriorate badly.
In discussing the alleged dis
closures in the report of Mr..
Jurgenson report had been sifted to
Tri-State and Northwestern Bell
Telephone companies, Mr.. Crawley
said he was satisfied that after the
Jurenson report had been sifted TO
the bottom it would be found that
the biennial reports filed by these
companies with & the Minnesota
Railroad and Warehouse Commits
sion and the Interstate Commerce
Commission, would be found to be
more nearly correct that what it
has been alleged the Jurgenson re-
port will show.
He went on to give some of the
reasons why the cost of the tele-
phone operation had Increased so
materially in comparatively few
years.
The widening of the highways in
the state had Increased the opera
ton cost approximately rs per
cent, Mr.. Crawley said.
Up to 1914 when most of the
telephone systems were grounded
or magnetic systems 30 poles per
mile was considered pretty fair
construction. With the addition Of
another wire and metallic circuits
40 poles per mile was considered
fair construction at the present
time. He said it was absolutely
impossible to maintain service on
a grounded line running parallel
with a high voltage power line. He
said 200 per cent increase of
construction and maintenance cost
at the present time over the cost
of construction and maintenance in
1913 would be a reasonable esti-
mate of the increase.
With the increased cost came
estimate telephone demands. people
were demanding the common bat
terry service; labor from switch
board girls to construction men
was on much higher wage plane,
with shorter hours. Today the
| average toll message carried over
60 miles while a few years ago 1.-The
average distance was but five
miles.
Mr.Crowley said that with the de-
velopment Of the large public util-
ity power companies, every rural
telephone line in the state except
! in five counties would be parallel
by high lines" within a period of
I7k years.
A discussion of the investment
and earnings of the Alexandria
plant was carried on. He said the,
phone rate in the average indie
pendent exchange was about Csc
per month lower than was asked
by the Tri-State and Northwestern.
but that the service was not near
ly as efficient. The better indie
pendent companies were charging
over TO common battery service IS
rapidly as possible.
The Alexandria exchange is un-
usually fortunately situated. 1t
has an unusually heavy toll bust
ness particularly during the sum-
mer season, and 20 per cent of the
toll business developing at the
Alex exchange comes from nom.
subscribers who are spending a
few weeks at the lakes near the
city.
On being questioned relative to
municipality owned and operated
telephone exchanges Mr.. Crowley
said there were three in the state,
at least two of which showed
heavy deficits every year with In
ferior service.
Much helpful information was
CLEANED from the gentleman's in
formal talk and answering OF the
questions propounded to him by the
directors.