Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1920 [PAGE 788]

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784

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[June 2,

$ 146 25 45 00 29 00 32 00 252 25 3 027 00 225 00

39 2-party lines at $3.75 a month 10 1-party lines at $3.75 a month 29 Extensions at $1.00 a month 1 Private branch exchange—a month

$ Cost for 12 months Deduct 4 phones not paid from University funds

Net annual cost $ 2 802 00 4 Automatic direct from Champaign switchboard 126 00 Annual rental on Automatic trunk lines to University switchboard 400 00 Total rentals $ 3 328 00 Estimated operating and maintenance cost of the University Automatic system for this year with 387 phones and 141 extensions in service $ 2 000 00 Total annual cost of present service $ 5 328 00

Professor White submits three different plans for possible future arrangements with the Telephone Company. Plan 1. To replace our present equipment with a 2-wire system and dispense with all Bell telephones. This plan would mean a total annual rental of $18,121. Plan 2. To continue on our present basis, maintaining our present equipment, but paying a service charge on each of our stations for the city service. This arrangement would not give satisfactory long distance service so that part of the Bell telephones would have to be continued. If we keep half of them, the total expense of this plan would be $10,967. Plan 3. To disconnect our automatics from the city switchboard and use them for campus service only, using a sufficient number of Bell telephones for outside calls. Professor White points out that we should have to add several more phones so as to have one in each of our main buildings. If we suppose that 62 Bell phones and 29 extensions will furnish sufficient outside service, this third plan would mean an annual expenditure of $5540, as against the present annual expenditure of $5328. Of course that would mean a considerable curtailment of outside telephone service, and doubtless many complaints will come in from members of the faculty. I cannot believe, however, that any serious difficulty in the conduct of strictly University business will be brought about by this arrangement. It may be necessary to add somewhat more than 62 Bell phones and 29 extensions, but in any case we ought to be able to get service under this third plan reasonably satisfactory all round for a maximum of $6500 a year. This would be about $1200 more than our present expense, and would give us a total of 91 phones (including 89 extensions) with outside connection.