Evening star., 1896-03-25
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS
Mr.. Bryan Tells Bow His Company May
Reduce Telephone Rates.
A Petition Presented to Settle the
Matter Of Street ExtensiOn-Other
Items of Local Interest.

meDt to the House District committee to-
day in which he intimated q probable in
novation in the telephone system Of this
city which, If carried into effect, will pro-
duce a reduction in telephone re tes In Ger
tain cases. Mr. Bryan said his company is
considering the Introduction Of the meas
ured service in Washington. Under this
plan business man who uses the telephone
only at occasional intervals will be fur
nished service at $50 a year, where he
now pays 800, the service to be limited to
six hundred calls in the course of the year.
Residences can be supplied at $50 year
with service limited to five hundred calls
annually. The cost for house service is now
$I2 year.
Mr.. Bryan said this plan may be carried
into effect next summer, and If SO, subscrib-
ers will be supplied with metallic circuit.
He said the system is in operation in New
proved success. and an investigation is
now under way to ascertain the practica-
bility of its applica ton to Washington.
Against Chnrtering New Companies.
This statement was made by Mr.. Bryan
in the course Of an argument which he pre-
sented to the District committee against
the passage of the bill to incorporate rival
telephone companies in Washington. Mr..
Bryan held that it would be impossible for
the new companies to furnish a service at
the prices they proposed. He said the in
terest and depreciation charges, together
with the salary charges on a $5OO.OOO un-
derground plant, Would be more than S45 a
telephone. the sum which 1t is proposed by
the new companies to charge. He said it
cost the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company 5000 per telephone per
annum to operate in this city. Mr.. Bryan
further held that the new telephone COM
panies cannot do business while the pres
ent uncertainty exists as to the tenure of
certain patents.
Plea of the Falls Church Railroad.
President Hine Of the Falls Church and
Potomac Electric Railway. Company today
submitted to the House District committee
a reply to the objections urged by the
Commissioners against the proposed bill
authorizing that company to extend its
lines into this city. The Commissioners
object to the plan of ferrying the cars
across the Potomac river at Georgetown by
steam transfer, and insist that the road
shall bridge the Potomac at the Three
Sisters. above Georgetown, and enter at
the Union railway station, in West Wash
ington.
Mr.. Hine states that this plan would pro-
hlbit the road from entering Washington.
In the first place it would land passengers
in Georgetown instead of in the heart of
the city, and compel them to pay another
fare to get to Washington over the cable
railroad. That alone would be an insuper-
able objection. Furthermore the company
would be compelled to build q $500, 100
bridge, as the water is seventy feet deep,
and cantilever bridge would be required
and would take the road a mile and half
out Of It's line. Mr.. Hine says that the
ferry plan is entirely practicable, that 1t
mas been propounced SO by expert hy-
draulic engineers, and that the stockhold-
ers are SO well convinced of its practicable
ity that they are willing to invest their
money in it.
The committee decided to take the bill
up next Wednesday and to permit a full
discussion of the matter, inviting the Com
m1ssioners to be present.
A Street Extension Petition.
Senator Mcmillan today laid before the
Senate petition signed by ]. c. Sprigg, jr.,
]. w. Smith. James 6. Sprigg and e. A.
Balloch, praying for legislation to extend
the streets and avenues Of the city.
They say: 1T is to be hoped sincerely that
the two District committees of Congress
may not suffer this session to come to an
end without definitely settling, in some way,
disposition Of the subject would be better
than the present paralyzing uncertainty.
the condemnation map and proceedings
overlap land in value from 81, ,OOO, 900 to $15-
100000, all Of which has been practically
unmarketable and unmortgageable since
August last, and must remain so until the
subject Is finally closed. Much of it had al
ready been mortgaged, and this, If forced
to sale, will be sacrificed. All abstract COM
panies note this overlapping on contracts of
title, and the mere sight Of it is enough to
turn away would-be buyers and loaners
You can readily understand what in times
like these, this means to persons in need of
money.
IF the decision in the Supreme Court re-
specting the old highway act be awaited
this condition of things will be prolonged
for at least a year or more, and then the
decision may be such as only to prolong
1t still further. Congress can gather from
Judge Cox's decision what the defects of
the old law are, and from the investigation
Sc far made, 1t can compute with reason
able certainty what the cost of street ex-
tension will be. 1t can, therefore, decide
now, as well as at any future time, what
the government may be able and willing to
do in this matter. This 1t should do al once,
so that the land owners may know whether
the land Is to be theirs not, and, if it is
to be theirs, that they may be remitted to
the exercise of full powers of ownership
over it,
More Petitions for Rapid Transit.
Five petitions, containing fifty names of
citizens living along the lines of the Eek
ington railroad, were today presented to
the Senate by Mr.. Mcmillan, urging leg
islation that will compel that company to
equip it's lines with rapid transit.