The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-15
PRESIDENT BRYAN ON THE RACK.
Contradicts Statements Made by Mr..
HemDhill

Contradicts Statements Made by Mr..
Hemphin.
President Bryan. of the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company. re-
sumed his testimony before the subcom-
mittee of the House Appropriations
Committee yesterday.
Mr. Bryan said there were several
things in the testimony of those repre-
senting the citizens association that
were misleading and unreliable He first
took up the statement of the cost of
construction which Mr.. Birney had pro-
duced and which had been submitted to
him by a construction company of
20O-wire overhead system. Mr.. Bryan
produced a diagram of a sixty-foot pole
arranged with 200 wires, and said that the
whole thing was impracticable as the
lowest wires would have to be only
twelve feet above the ground and that no
poles could be found sufficiently strong
to maintain this number of wires.
Mr. Pitney suggested that this esti-
mate was given only to draw a compare
son as to the cost of underground con-
struction.
Continuing, Mr.. Bryan said: ut would
seem from statements made on Friday
that the telephone company refused
subscriber the right to talk to his own
house. or any other house near his
house, about a fire he had heard was
raging in his neighborhood, because it
was not in the line of his business. This
is by no means the case.
at may be inconvenient to the commu-
nifty not to be furnished the time of day
by the exchange clock which is connected
with the observatory, but if we are to
do a telephone business in a way salts
factory to all concerned we must take
into account just what the telephone
operators are employed to do
Mr. Pitney wanted to know if an even
ing newspaper desiring news of base
ball game. should ring up a resident liv-
ing near the grounds to ascertain the
score. it would be held a violation of the
telephone cOmpany's rules. Mr.. Bryan
said It would not.
Mr. Pitney: But there is just such a
stipulation in the contract that no one
| shall gather news for sale
Mr. Bryan: mo one has ever been call
ed down by reason of violation Of that
kind
Mr. Pitney: 81 supposed the whole con-
tract was binding. and / have called to
| your attention, Capt Bryan. that the
courts have repeatedly adjudicated that
| the contract in regard TO gathering news
was void and yet you keep it on your
| contract"
| Judge Wilson here called Mr.. Pitney's
| attention to the fact that Mr.. Bryan was
being led off the line of his argument.
Mr. Bryan then turned his attention to
that part of the previous testimony re-
! lating to secrecy, and especially to the
statement of Mr.. Brney that an official
! in the Treasury Department had tried to
| send a secret message to New York, and
! after being assured that the wire was
! exclusive, and sending his message, Re
| had heard it repeated among the opera
! tors at the exchange.
What | desire to say" said Mr.. Bryan,
SIS that this statement is being made the
! basis of editorials in the newspapers,
! which are distinctly hostile to the COM
| pany. l think we should know the name
of the official, but 1 understand that Mr..
| Birney rs bound to secrecy. If the state
| ment was given to him in confidence and
! he has repeated it, l do not see but that
| he has broken. or, at least, Clipped that
confidence. and 1 think we should have
the name of the man, because l want
to find it out if there is a high Treasury
! official who has such a complaint as that
tention of the telephone company"
Mr. Pitney: Let me make suggestion.
Don't worry so much about what the
newspapers may say, and give US the
| information we seek.
Mr.. Bryan: Newspapers bring on war.
| and make peace and all that sort of
thing, and it has been said that they
elect members of Congress. They GER
tanly can do a great deal of harm to
the telephone company if they SO desire. -
Mr.. Pitney: "If you will write a state
ment and send it to the newspapers, I
have no doubt that they will publish it
Mr.. Bryan: Gentlemen, ] cannot run
a telephone business, attend TO this in
| vestigation and write for the newspapers,
| too"
| In regard to the patents owned by the
Bell Telephone Company. Mr.. Bryan aid
| that the statements made by Mr.. Hemp
hill We're all false and instead of that
| company owning but one patent, they
owned hundreds.
He was asked if any exchange which
might be established in this city would
be an infringement, and Mr. Bryan re-
piled that he thought they would
Mr.. Hemphill declared that his state
ments in regard to the patents of the
! Bell Company were based on as good au-
thority as had been quoted by Mr.. BRYAN.
The committee after accepting an in
vitation to visit the telephone exchange.
| adjourned until Wednesday morning.