The day book. [volume], October 16, 1913, Image 2

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
conducting the automatic since
granting an option to the Bell sys
tem has been uncovered by his office.
Crossed wires, thought impossible
under the automatic-system, are said
to be a common occurfencelately.
t Ferry reiterated his determination
to put a stop to interference with
service on the lines of the automatic
by the use of a talking device which
he ordered removed Monday, an or
der entirely ignored by the .Illinois
Telephone & Telegraph Company.
"I will report the matter to the
city council," said Ferry. "The auto
matic corporation is grossly violating
the terms of the franchise under
which it is operating in granting, for
the sake of financial gain, to the
talking device corporation the right
to use its lines for the benefit of a
restricted service and to the detri
ment of the general service obtain
ing on those lines."
Several automatic subscribers have
complained to Ferry that wherever
the megaphonic attachment objected
to was in use the clarity of the tele
phone bellwas affected, a buzzing in
the horn of the attachment resulting
instead. Ferry points out that the in
stallation of the attachment is a vio
lation of the franchise inasmuch as a
charge is made for additional service.
In section 6 of the franchise of the
Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Com
pany it says: "And the company shalf
make no further charge for any im
provements or devices used for the
benefit of the service."
Ferry also says he has enough in
formation to hasten action' in the
matter of having all nickel-first
'phones equipped with push-buttons,
with which to attract the operators
attention.
"Hundreds of dollars are lost to
subscribers in Chicago every month
through the imperfections of the
nickel-first system," said Ferry. "It's
a greater robbery than was practiced
by means of the old slot devices
which long ago were outlawed. And
it is more, than that, for the nickel-1
Gist telephone as at present consti
tuted, is an absolute menace to life,
home and safety. Fire may break
out, burglars may ply their trade, and
men, women and children may lay
moaning from pain in sick beds-without
relief possible, simply because of
the absence of an emergency button
on the nickel-first phone."
The Women's Party of Cook Coun
ty fired the first shot in. the people's
war against the telephone merger at
the session of the city council.
A resolution protesting against
the merger and urging the city to
take over the plant of the automatic
and operate it as a municipal venture
was read to the aldermen.
The council referred it to the gas,
oil and electric light committee,
where the deal now reposes.
0-O- "
EIGHTEEN MORE OF VOLTURNO
PASSENGERS SAVED
New York, Oct. 16. Wireless con
firmed the report that the Dutch oil
tanker New York, not included in
the roster' of the Volturno rescue
fleet on the first day, has on board
18 survivors 15 women and 3 chil
dren. She is proceeding to Rotter
dam. This reduces estimates of the
Volturno dead to 118.
' Money for the relief of the sur
vivors coming here penniless is com
ing in so slowly that Jacob Schiff,
treasurer of the Red Cross Society,
advanced $5,000 for immediate UBe.
This is to be refunded if the other
contributions amount to enough to
make it possible. The fund today
only totaled" $1,493.
o o .
DIGGING FOR MINERS
Cardiff, Wales, Oct. 16. Rescuers
today continued to work in the
wrecked Universal colliery, despite
the fact that there were no signs of
any of the entombed miners being
alive.
The bodies of 53 havebeen recov
ered and. 371 are still in the mine.
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