Evening star., 1896-03-17
CHEAPER RATES ARE PROMISED
Patents to Be Used by the CoIum-
bia and Home Organizations.
DETAILS OF THE PLANS

l
| question to discus sion.
For the Columbia Company.
Mr.. T. A. Lambert, representing the Co.
lumbia Telephone Company, first addressed
| the committee. He said the citizens of the
District have smarted to the extent of their
endurance under the whip and spur of the
telephone monopoly, and a number Of the
/ local business men have combined to re-
| lieve the community from this scourge
| upon the business interests. At the same
| time, the promoters of the company expect
| to make a profit, while benefiting the COM
| munity.
| 1t is believed, he said, that the telephone
| rates can be reduced ~ per cent from
| existing figures, and still return desirable
| profit upon the investment. The Columbia
! company Is organized in good faith, and
| with no speculative purpose nor intention
| to sell out the franchise when obtained.
| The bill proposes to lay conduits for its
| wires, to supply free ducts for the use of
| the District government, and 10 rent ducts
| to other wire-laying enterprises. 1t is pro-
vided that the city may obtain the control
| of the conduits under prescribed conditions.
| What patents will you use?" asked Mr..
Richardson.
| I'VE will use the appliances of the West
| ern Telephone Construction Company Of
Chicago, which are now in in the In
terror Department and in Richmond, Va
| replied Mr.. Lambert.
| In the course of the argument, Mr.. Odell
| Of New York asked il there are not more
| overhead wires in this city than any other
| city of its size sin the country, TO which
Mr.. Lambert replied that such is the case.
| And yet 1t is claimed by some that the
underground system is almost perfect
| here?' asked Mr. Odell.
| ''Yes, that has been claimed"
Mr. Lambert read statement from Mr..
| Benjamin Butterworth, celebrating the
plans Of the Columbia company.
Mr.. Daniels Gives Some Details.
| Mr.. T. c. Daniels, also representing the
| Columbia company. presented some details
of the company's plans. He said the Sem
| ate District committees proposed amend
| ments to the bill, heretofore published in
| The Star, would be submitted to the House
committee with the concurrence of the
company in them. He spoke of the expira-
| ton of the Bell telephone patents, and the
| benefits which should come to the people by
| that expiration. He said the local telephone
| company cannot hold out any prospects for
reduction of rates because ii is still pay
ing the parent Bell Telephone Company
| hfty-five per cent of its revenues, as well as
paying the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany $JOO.OO year as royalty.
The people of Washington have waited
| long enough. said Mr.. Daniels. They
waited for the patents to expire, then for
| the Supreme Court to ciinch that expira-
| tlon, but there is no relief in sight from the
| existing company"
Mr.. Daniels said II is an outrage that
| there are only 1,6JO telephones in use in
this city. There ought to be four or five
| thousand IL rates were established that
| would permit it.
| Il claim that the Commissioners and this
committee should gladly welcome any sub
| stantial local company that will establish
system of subways to reduce telephone
| rates and accommodate other overhead
| wires, said Mr.. Daniels. He said his COM
pany mas secured three-year contracts with
| BUSINESS firms, which will put the company
on firm basis at the outset
| In answer to a question ahouf tho ro1o five
| &C st OF operating overhead and underground
wires, MI Lambert said that the cost of
MAINTAINING the overhead wires outside of
| this city Is just double that of the UNDER
| ground wires in the city. The Columbia
company will furnish telephor es for $50 a
| year to residences and $40 to business
| houses.
The Home Company.
Mr.. Jno. ]. HemphiI, representing the
Hcme Telephone Company. then addressed
the committee. His company, he said. has
established itself in Newark, jersey Citv.
and is being put into operation in Baltimore
and Cleveland. with a charter granted for
| Detroit 1t is also working in Alexandria.
| 1t Is designed to establish Offices in manv
| cities and connect them later by lons-dis-
tance wires. He recited the profits made
| by the Bell Telephone Company under its
| patents. amounting to $45,0OO,OOO The Bell
| company is so overburdened by ROYALTIES
| ana charges OF various kinds that it cannot
| leSSeu IT'S prices. Inc Home company will
furnish telephones for $50 a year to resi-
dences and $l2 year for business houses.
The Home company is not asking for any
| unusual privileges. 1t proposes to do here
what is being done in other towns, and to ac-
| cede to the wishes Of the Commissioners in
| laying down general system of subways.
A Question for Experts.
What patent do you use?' asked Mr..
| Richardson.
I'VE propose to use the Maxwell sys-
tenn" answered Mr.. Hemphin, and he
added that 1t was better than the system
| proposed by the Columbia company
| This statement was controverted by Mr..
Daniels, and reiterated by Mr.. Hemphill.
who added that proposition had been
| of excellence at issue between these two
companies to board of experts. and the
| system which the experts decided against
| would retire from the field and abandon
the request for charter.
| will you put down conduit to provide
for all electric wires?' asked Mr.. Richard.
son.
"Yes, we will provide for all electric
wires hereafter to be made" answered
| Mr.. Hemphill.
And make them free for the use of the
city?" >Ae
1--WE will not only make them free to the
| city, but will lay them in new streets be.
fore the pavement is put down." said MIR
| Hemphill, adding that there is also a pro-
| NlSlou tne TeNerSlCn OF the property to
the city after a stated period. With this
| the hearing closed.
| Citizens Present.
The representatives Of several citizens
associations were present to advocate
cheaper telephone rates. but Chairman
Babcock said that as time was limited and
the desire of the citizens for lower rates
was fact conceded it would be better "a
devote the time to hearing the propositions
| of the various companies for reducing the
| rates. Those present were Messrs. Tucker
and Frizzell from the Northeast Washing
ton Association, Mr.. S. S. Yoder and w. c.
| Dodge from the East Washington Associa-
| ton, Mr.. Morris Fitzgerald and John Prou-
! ty from the South Washington Association
| and Messrs. Watson, Harding and Wood
| ruff from the Mount Pleasant Association.
To Receive Secretary Multer.
| Arrangements are being made for a re-