National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-25
TELEPHONE TALK.
LARGE MEETING OF SUBSCRIBERS,
Who Make Vigorous Protest Against the In.
crease Rates and Threaten to Boycott the
Exchange-An Explanatory Communi-
cation from "Central Office

Lincoln Hall yesterday afternoon for the purpose
Of taking action relative to the proposed increas'
in rates for of the telephones of the Bell Tele
phone Company. Among those present were
Messrs J. P. Willett, j. c. Parker, franklin Rives
Dorsey Clagett G. T. Keen, John /. Miller, W.
Wyvill, W. r. Spear, ]. s. Edwards Thomas Geary
DR. W. p. Young, ]. H. Crane, J. W. Drew, I.
Hume, s. X. Cuttings, Burgdorf Bros, J. c. Ergood
B. L. Blackford, T. w. Smith, ]. T. Judd, Frank
Hume, W. NJ Gait, W. ]. Stephenson G. II. B. White
G. W. Holmes, H. Q. Towlcs, j. B. Kendall, I. Fade
ley, j. B. Hill, W. H. Clagett, S. r. Hamlll, DE
Blake, Wheatley Bros, James X. Ceary, c. NJ: Bell
C. c. Duneanson, L. G. Hine, ]. d. Adams
G. w. Cochran, J. W. Boteler, A. X
Perry, W. s. Hcge Horatio Browning, A
Biedler, W. D. Baldwin, z. W. Cromwell
W. 6. Teel, C. T. Wood, E. F. Schafer, G. E. Ken,
nedy, Elphonzo Youngs, NJ Platter, NJ. BuchIy, +,
| NJ Draney Judge c. F. Peck w. ii. Tenney, j. A.
Baker j. W. Radcliffe, L. \. Delwig, John Sher-
man, j. s. Swo-mstedt, William King, NJ. William,
j. F. Olmsted, y. C. Wilson, G. w. Knox, NJ Ash
ford Thomas Russell, John Keyworth, r. Emmons,
E s. Hutchinson, James Ramsburg, Thomas Dow
ling, Thomas Callan, J. II. Savilc, General E. W.
Whitaker W. c. OMeara, F. W. Pratt, \. 4. Poole,
Francis Miller, Daniel Leech, Schwing & Clark,
Presbury & Green, Charles klOtz. ". :. Thompson,
Job Barnard, q. NJ Oyster, F. 2: May, DR.. Walsh,
DR.. T. T. Sewers, T. X. johnson, III. a. Clark, and L.
G. Wheeler,
A large placard was displayed upon the stage,
bearing the following inscription: Twenty-fi
dollars per year,
OR NO TELEPHONE"
| The meeting called to order by Mr.. W. H.
Clagett, after which temporary organization was
effected with Mr.. L. G. Hine as president and Mr..
/ Mr.. w. II. Clagett said it was hardly necessary
| for any one 10 ask the object of the meeting, as
! those present showed that they meant business.
They had inGugurated and supported this tele-
phone line at an enormous rental, but the owners
of it were not satisfied, but now assumed to put on
| tariff which, if submitted to- would entail new
extortions in the future. He had done without the
| telephone once and could do So again. Loud ap-
| plause.] The only remedy the subscribers had was
! TO make promise to do away with the present
monopoly and for those VINO owned property and
had wires stretched across their houses 10 take
! Ratchet, go up on the roof, and cut them down.
| [Great cheering and wild appause.l All that was
necessary now would be TO stand by each other and
| fight the company.
Dr. W P Young suggested the appointment of a
| committee to wait on the telephone company and
! endcavor to obtain q better offer
Mr. Judd moved as an amendment that the com
mittee tell the telephone company that sub
| scribcrs would pay S46 per year and nc more.
Mr. Gawler said he would pay $40, and If the
| company declined to accept that they could take
| their instrument down.
Mr. T. L. Hume said this fight had been brought
on by the telephone company, and he was in favor
| of fighting back. He was informed that they
could rent the telephone for S2o per year. and then
make handsome proit. There was a telephone
now in use by the Government which was equally
as good as the Bell, and three hundred of them
were available for immediate use. He referred
| to the Edison telephone, the agent for whom was
present and could tell the meeting something
settle this question 10 band together and resist
| the oppression of the Bell company.
DR.. P. Young moved the appointment Of
committee TO report plan for organization.
Mr. w H. Tenney favored taking out the present
telephones and getting the ones suggested by Mr..
Hume
been called to help the telephone company, but
TO oppose it, and he called upon all present TO sign
paper pledging themselves not TO pay more than
S25 dollars year for the use of the telephone.
Mr.. John A. Baker stated that under the new
code the Bell Telephone Company paid into the
District treasury $50 year for all its privileges.
While he up, and in view of the fact that the
business community was so well represented, he
wanted TO call their attention 10 another feature
personaftax item the books of every professional
man would be opened TO an assessor, which was
an outrage that should not be tolerated The tele-
phone question WIGS direct issue now and de-
served prompt attention, but he did not like the
business men to forget about the personai-tax
question.
pointment of a committee to prepare some plan of
action.
After short discussion, the motion was adopted
and the chair named as the committee MeSsrs.
Baker, Stephenson, Boteer Barbour, Gait, saville,
Edwards, Duncanson. and Hume.
The committee retired to the parloTs below, and
during their absence Mr.. Frank Hume was called
TO the chair.
Mr.. Presbury stated that Mr. Eckert, the inventor
give some information upon the subject of what
It cost to put the instruments up and run them.
Mr.. W. T. Eckert was thereupon invited upon
the platform, and stated that he would be glad 10
answer any questions the meeting might ask.
He was subjected to quite fire of iDterToga-
tories, to which he replied in substance that the
rental now charged by the Bell Company was
more than sufficient TO pay all costs and leave
handsome surplus. He could put up telephones
for S25, reduction of nearly half what the SUBJ
Scribers were now paying, and make all the money
he wanted. Besides, he had large number of
telephones in at long distances, between sixty
as to their being all that he claimed for them.
Several gentlemen here stated that they had
tried Mr.. Eckert's telephone, and it was equal in
Mr.. X. Ross Perry, the Assistant District-At
torney, said the best use subscribers could put
their telephones to now would be when they went
away from the meeting to notify the central Office
to send and take the instruments out and take
down the wires.
laughter.l
MI. G. T. Keen said the company required sub
scribers TO send written order when they desired
an instrument to be removed.
Mr.. Perry. - don't think the courts will require
it," Applause.
Mr. John II. Crane presented the following reso-
luton, which was not acted upon, as the commit
tee appointed by the chair was stated to be coming
up stairs:
tional Telephone Company, view with surprise
and Indignation the effort being made by said
company to increase the rates for sending mes
demands, believing that instead of an increase of
rates they should be reduced TO not more than $50
to each subscriber, which sum we satisfied will
pay said company, if economically managed. a
dividend OF not less than ten per cent. ON its in
vestment'
Mr. j. A Baker presented the report of the COM
mittee, which recommended the appointment of
president, president, secretary, treasurer and
an executive committee of seven to take charge OF
the interests of the subscribers to the telephone
and to report at q future meeting what action is
best for the interests of the patrons of the tele
phone.
Also the following resolution:
Resoiesd That this meeting, individually and
collectively. pledge themselves to unite in firm
refusal to pay the prices for telephones demanded
by the National Telephone Company and that we
unite in ordering the telephones out Of our prem
Scs and the wires from Our buildings if the present
rates are increased
The report was then piIt upon its passage, and
unanimously adopted.
An election of officers under the provision of the
report was then read, resulting as follows: Presi-
dent, L. &. Hine; yicc-president, Thomas L. Hume;
secretary, Frederick W. Pratt: treasurer, &. H. 3.
White, and executive committee, Messrs. J. A.
Baker, !. s. Edwards, j. L. Barbour, K. Ross Perry
Frank Hume, George ". Cochran, and William NJ.
Calf
MI W. 6 Thompson moved that no new con-
tracts be entered into with the telephone company
until the executive committee just elected made
report.
of the president.
MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL OFFICE.
New. II. Barnard secretary and treasurer of the |
National Capital Telephone Company, makes a
statement in which he says that there TO be
an erroneous impreSsian in minds of people
generally as to the cost of carrying on telephone
exchange and the amount telephone companies
are making. The rate of SIS per annum, here
tofore charged by the company, WAS fixed
when the business started, upon esti-
mates for probable two hundred subscribers, |
with no precedens or actual figures upon which to
base the cost of carrying on an exchange of even
that number. The growth of the business was not
foreseen, either inf the number of persons who !
would ind the telephone useful or the extent to
which it would be employed. Two years has
applied to the present subscribers, does not pSy
for the amount Of business carried on through the
telephones in use, and the whole volume OF bust !
is of course increased with every added sub
sarib