The evening times., 1896-03-25

Samuel II. Bryan, president OF the Chesa-
peakc and Potomac Telephone Company,
this morning appeared before the House
District Committee and spoke ut length
in opposition TO the granting Of franchises
10 competing companies.
Nearly all the OH. arguments made from
time TO time against the establishment of
opposition plants were reiterated by Mr..
Bryan. He said II would tc utterly imrOs.
sible FOL any OF The EroEosednew companies
now having bills pending before Congress
for a Charter to furnish a service at the
prices they name.
Mr.. Bryan supported his statement by
facts and figures. to prove that the in
terest and depreciation charges and sal
aries on an underground plant costing "A
half million dollars, will he more than Si5
per telephone. The total cost each year
for maintaining one telephone by the Ches-
apeake and Potomac Company is 5000.
In addition 10 everything else, Mr. Bryan
said. the present status OF telephone pat
cnt, is such that no new company can give u
satisfactory service without becoming La
ble to injunctions for infriUgemeDts.
LIMITED SYSTEM.
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Bryan
made the interesting statement that his
company now has under consideration n
plan for putting into operation what is
known AS the limited service SYSTEM Un-
der such an arrangement telephone woSld
be rented with the stipulation that the
service should not exceed 500 calls per
year. for which a charge of $50 would be
made. \ telephone with a service OF SEQ
calls per annum would cost $50. This sys-
TEN, he believes, would bring the tee-
phone into more general residence use and
at the same tire give an ample service.
The District Committee did not transact
any executive business at their regular
meeting. 1t Is expected that on next
Wednesday the bill permitting the Fails
Church and Potomac Railway Company to
enter the District, viii be taken up and a
final disposition reached. IL is the inien-
ton of the committee to have the District
Commissioners present and obtain addi-
tional Information rega riding their per-
sistent objection to the proposed entrance
of the road.
Major o. T.. Hines, one of the stockholders
OF the Falls Church road. today laid be-
fore the committee a written statement
answering all the objections heretof fore
raised by the Commissioners.
IN THE SENATE.
In the Senate Mr.. Mcmillan pre- sented
petitions asking for the passage of some
bill providing for street extension and OF
| a measure TO force the lexington Rail-
road Company to better equip its line ard
extension was signed by j. C. Sprigg,
f. A. Balloch, j. W. Smith and James
Sprigg. These gentlemen hope Congress
viii do something at this session that Will
permanently settle the question of street
extension. Anything. they say, viii be
better than the present uncertainty.
The lands TO I've condemned for streets
according to the plans and maps already
approved by the Commissioners overlap
lands worth from Sc, coo. 900 to $l5. .U0O,-
900, and this overlapping is now shown
OF all the plats prepared by the abstract
companies. As a consequence these lands
have been unmarkct1blc since last August,
and, what is worse, no money can be- hcr-
rowei upon them. Moreover. wncrc money
has been borrowed. as in many cases,
forced sales are likely to occur. and in the
doubt as to what will be done abO ut streets
the property will be sacrificed.
The petitions Re carlng improved equip
ment for the lexington road are OF the
series that have been coming in for some
time past. The rumbcr OF petitioners now
reaches into the thousands.