To the Editor of the "Noer-CHiva Day News"
Sin,—Last night at midnight I and my entire household were waked out of a sound sleep by the violent and repeated ringing of the telephone. After listening to eight or 10 long and vociferous peals I crawled out of bed in the: cold and answered it, only to find, as I had expected, that the cal was not for us, and the operator Knew nothing about it. This is the second time in one week we have been rung in the middle of the might, and these two times are by no means the only ones. In fact scareely—I think I may safely-say never—a day passes that we are not called to the telephone nly to be told "mistake, mistake" frequently three or four times a day. Such a state of things is quite inexcusable, and should be remedied at once. Operators who make these repeated "mistakes" should be fined or dismissed.
Moreover, that is not the only trial endured by Shanghai telephone subscribers. an average of once in 10 times are we able to give our number to the operator directly after ringing, and at once have the number given us. The other nine times we stand for minutes on end, either to be asked what number quently, after giving the number, have stood so long that, becoming. exasperated, I have rung' again and inquired whether they cannot get my number, only to be met with the query, "What number do you want?" This sort of thing happens continually, and is the rule, not the exception. Such service is disgrace, and renders the term "service" in connexion with the telephone nothing less than fare cal. One never has troubles like these in America, where T lived for many years. The service there is prompt and efficient.
A telephone is a necessary convenience, and should be run as It is in America, 20 as to make of it a public utility, "as not, as it frequently here, 'a public is a Tam, ete, Feo Ur,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.