The Washington times., 1895-07-01
Three Embryo Competitors of the
Bell Telephone Monopoly.
ALL SOLICITING PATRONAGE
One New System Perha ps The Ultimate
Result-Senntor Daniel Interested
in One of the Companies-Other
TwoA Arethe Home nj he sta ndard.
Lively Fight In Prospect.

Hello ceutral!' may soon be screamed
by the public to four central stations of as
many companies in Washington.
There is a triangular telephone fight
now on which will interest Washingtonians
who want cheap telephone service, The
fight is, however, friendly contest for
the privileges and franchises of estab-
fishing a new system.
These are the companies in which Senator
Dauiel is said TO be interested.
The Standard, Of which great deal has
recently been said, and the Home Tee-
phone Company, of Baltimore.
Judging from the recent activity of
two Of these companies they are not
frightened by the reversal OF Judge Car
penter in the Berliner patent case There
are only TWO ways perhaps in which TO
look at the new companies; one is that
they are connected with the Bell Company,
or that at the proper time they Will be
able 10 compete with that monopoly sue
ceSsfuliy.
ALL MAY BE IN EARNEST.
There is not much stock taken i'll tho idea
that the candidates for public favor are
other than bona fide operators.
1t Will make no difference to the public
where they get the money, and no amount
OF speculation or differences in favor OF the
monopoly viii prove, or be even a reason
able ground for suppoSing, that the new
companies are not in earnest or that their
undertaking Is impossible or improb obable.
Cheaper telephone service is. perhaps,
universally desired in Washington. The
District Commissioners and the Interior
Department gave tangible proof of il by
providing themselves with u plant of their
n
All of the proposed companies can, no
doubt, get all the signatures and future
contracts they need The lively apparent
competition on this lire last week indi-
Gates that the next Congress viii have 10
give mighty good reasons why new fran
chises shall not be granted.
HOME COMPANY'S CANVASS.
The Home Telephone Company's agents
were i'll Anacostia on Saturday, having
been here ali week They have obtained
quite a large number of signatures to con
tracts on the figures of So for residences
and 81 for business houses. The agent ol
the company went to work here on last
Monday morning. The idea appears to he
To use these signatures and contracts 10
enlighten Congress by the number and char
acter of the signing parties OF how far a
cheaper service is needed in Washing ton.
The STANDARD Company has lower rate
than the Home company. Mr.. Hines, rep
rcSentlng the Standard here, said that
the rate OF hs company was not fixed with
reference to that of any other company,
They have advertised a rate Of $3.50 for
residences and $3.50 for business houses.
One OF the Home people said yesterday that
it was singular that the rate of the Stand
ard was made just half dollarlow than
that of the Home Company.
LIVELY CONTEST FOR PATRONAGE.
As to the third company-that of which it
is said Senator Daniel is to be president
il had secured more than 200 signatures
several months ago.
There is now every indication OF lively