Omaha daily bee., 1893-01-23
CHEAPER TELEPHONE TOLLS
Some of the Principal Patents Will Expire
Within Year,
ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM IN WASHINGTON
ENtraragant Rates Charged FOR Poor SER
vice rammany and the Quarantine Bnl
Silver Legislation In rrospcct-Civn
Service Reform
WASHINGTON BUREAU OF The BEE, !
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET }
WASMINHrnN ID L. Inn OO

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. ~.
Among the attorneys aud men in congress
who have for years followed the subject
through the courts and the patent office,
much is being said about the anticipated
breaking of the telephone monopoly by the
carly expiration of the principal patents
under which it is now operating. The patent
on the transmitter and receiver and also
that upon the general idea of transmitting
sound by electricity, will expire within
twelve months, when, it is stated the tele-
phone field will be free to a half dozen or
more patents, and 1t Is expected that tolls
will rapidly decline in every state In
this connection it is noted that congress,
which is generally SO attentive to the inter
ests of the citizens of the District of Colum-
bia, especially when it comes to anything in
the direction of home government, has never
attempted to check the exorbitant tele-
phone rates which are charged in the cap
ital of the nation. a very ordinary service
here taxes patrons 500 each a year. even
where more than one is served by single
wire. In Indiana and several states the
legislatures have fixed the maximum tele-
phone charges at 50 II month for service
equal to that furnished here, and the law
has withstood the test of the courts while
the service has dcteriorated. Iu Washing
ton, which is the ward of the economists"
of congress- the tendency of telephone rates
has been constantly upward, while going
downward in the states.
As to National Quarantine.
The fate of the national quarantine bill
will be decided in the house tomorrow.
When the voting begins the main contest
will be over Mr., Coclran's amendment,
which has already been adopted in commit
tee of the whole, and which secures the
Tammany quarantine of New York from all
interference from the national government
and will again allow Dick Crol1er's brother
in-law, DR.. Jenkins, to assume full control Of
the harbOr III case of any danger of cholera.
In view of Mr.. RaynCrs statement yester-
day that the defeat OF this amendment would
mean the defeat of the bill, because tho
Tammany democrats would vote against any
national quarantine measure which did not
protect the patronage and pickngs of their
local quarantine. il is probable that this
amendment will be retained It's presence
in the bill makes the entire measure
practically nugatory. At the same time
Senator Harris, who will have charge of the
amended bill when 1t goes back to the SEN
ate, expresses himself as willing to accept it,
Another contest will be over the third
section, which authorizes the secretary of
the treasury to take the necessary quaran-
tine precautions vt any port where in his
Judgment, the local quarantine is not sufi-
ClcnU MI. stump, whose amendment .Or
seven-day quarantine at the port of depar-
turc was 50 overwhelmingly defeated yester-
day, will join the opposition against this sec
tion, which is regarded by him and other
southern democrats as Il direct violation of
the sacred doctrine of state rights. Messrs
I<ilgore and Cummings will reserve their
flibustering tactics until the bill, as amended
Is put ON its final passage, Should the bill
become law in its present form, the only
effective feature will be the section authoriz-
ing the president TO suspend immigration
from any infected point or country.
viii Filibuster If \ ecessary.
Adherents and agents of the incoming ad-
ministratiOn continue their missionary work
among members OF the house in behalf of the
repeal of the Sherman silver act. Within u
few days it is expected that the rules COM
mittce of the house will fix a day for the
consideration of the Andrew bill repeating
the silver purchasing clause of the Sherman
act The resolution, however will not in
cludc any provision for reaching "a vote and,
in the absence of some form of cloture it will
be easy for Mr.. Bland, and the other
| advocates of free coinage, to ilibuster
against the Andrew bill 1t has been
intmated, by authority of Mr.. Cleveland to
nearly all of the democratic members of the
house who have been reelected that if they
desire any favors for themselves or their
friends at the hands of the incoming admin
istration they will do well to show them
selves worthy of a seat at the banquet table
by voting in favor of the repeal of the Sher-
man act. 1t still seems probable, however,
that the democrats will not be put to this
painful test, inaSmuch as the silver men are
as determined as ever TO prevent the house
from reaching vote Representative Bland
said today: ''lt will be nothing but n day
| of wind and YThen it comes to the voting we
will flibuster against any decisive step in
| the direction of a ballot We will provide
that there shalrbe no final vote taken"
Even if the bill should by any miracle pass
| the house, Senator Stewart and other
! friends of free pOinuup in the senate will
prevent its passage there by talking against
| time.
Civil Service Reform.
| 1t is understood that one of President
| ClcvelandS first acts on entering the white
house will be to reorganize the civil service
commission. President Lyman, for whom
Mr.. Harrison has yainly sought II successor,
will probably be succeeded by Representa-
| tive Andrew of Massachusetts, the present
chairman of the civil service reform COM
/ mlttec of the house. Mr.. Theodore Roose-
| welt has consented to continue TO serve on
! the commission Mr., George ID. j. John
| stone OF Louisiana, the present democrat
| commissioner, is not regarded by Mr.. Cleve-
! land as IA sufficiently aggressive civil service
| reformer to cooperate with Messrs. Andrew
| and Roosevelt He will therefore be pro-
| vided with either a desirable consulate or
! some agreeable place at home. The name OF
| his successor has not been selected. The
| new civil service commission will be of
| character to strike terror 10 the hosts OF
| hungry democratic office seekers.
| Aspirants for Secretary of the Senate.
There will soon be lively times about the
| halls of congress. The time has almost come
| for the reorganization of both the senate and
| house. There will be no trouble to find an
| abundant number OF asprants for the half
dozen positions to be filed by popular vote in
| the two houses.
| 1t is no longer matter Of the least doubt
| that the democrats will have control of the
senate after the 4th of March. Should the
deadocks continue in the legislatures of the
four or five states now trying To elect sena-
tors the result will simply be diminution Of
republican strength, ana the democrats,
aided as they will be by the popu-
lists, may go right on and elect
| o secretary, sergeunt-at-arms and
chaplain. the only officers now selected by
caucus or popular vote in the senate, All
the other positions, OF which there are some
hundreds are filled by the first two officers
named, nearly all by the secretary. When
the Office of executive clerk of the senate
| was abolished Il year ago, TO give vent TO
some senatorial spleen against the news
! paper fraternity, the number Of elective Off
GERS was reduced To three. The position OF
secretary of the scnate Is the best one
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