Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-05
Opinion of Business Men Respecting
Telephone Company's Policy.
INDORSING TIE FREDONIA PROPRIETOR
Passage Demanded of Bill for New
Scale of Prices.
STU ALTON SSED


pany here among all business men has
created a sensation. 1t is the general opin-
len of all who have any dealings with the
company that il should be forced by Con-
gress to adopt other less obnoxious policy.
Its methods SAVIOR entirely too much of
grinding monopoly, they say, ard they all
agree that it would be greatly 20 the busi-
ness interests of Washington in general if
Congress should pass the proposed bill for
a new scale of prices for uses of the tele-
phone in the District. So interested are
they in the fina, outcome of the matter
that PAPER is being circulated among the
business men ana signatures are being Sc
cured in large numbers. This paper is to
the effect that they heartily in favor
of the fight started by the proprietor of
the Fredonia Hotel and now pending in
the United States court of the District.
AS matter of fact the censorship exer-
cised by the telephone company over the
rights of its subscribers as to what man.
rer of conversations they shall hold and
for which they shall be taxed as the COM
pSny sees fit, is regarded as something un-
precedented. The idea that the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company has q
right to practice any such methods upon its
patrons Is regarded as inimical not only
10 the business interests of Washington,
but as Offering precedent set by cor
poratfon which is dangerous in the ex-
treme.
the merchants declare, are higher than
anywhere else, and that they should be
limited in even the slightest degree as to
what business, public private they shall
transact over the lines is regarded as ri
diculous. 1t is spoken of in the highest
terms of lndigna ton.
Sample Contract
"A gentleman this morning showed a con-
tract signed with the company One ex-
tract from it was pointed out as showing
how arbitrary are the rulings of the co-:l-
Peny- 1t is as follows:
The subscriber hereby agrees to take
charge and care of the said telenbone
equipment While 1t remains on his said
premises The messages sent ard the con-
VersatiCns had by the subscriber on his
own account or business shall be subject
10 the same rules, regulations terms con-
ditions and stipulations and shall he Maid
Ior py MIN at the same rates and in the
same manner as messages sent or con-
Fersatlons had for or by any other person )"
Ihe order last summer requiring all the
druggists to put in slot machines inter-
Tered greatly with their business and also
with businesses with which they We're in
directly connected. For instance if one
OF the druggists was an agent for laun-
dry previous to this he could telephone to
me laundry without extra expense. When
Inc new order was issued, however il was
Claimed that the druggist would be charged
extra, or just the same as any outsider
when he should use the telephone to send
expense.
The Slot Machine.
n gentleman at the head of large es-
tabhshment stated that, previous to the
issuance of the arbitrary order of the tele-
phone company there were a number of
branch offices in drug stores throughout
the city. When an order was made and
sent into the house it was supposed to be
Tree. as rent was paid on the phone
i'm,
vogue the establishment was required to
put 10 cents in the phone thereby reduc-
Ing the profits to little or nothing. This
was 5one Notwithstanding the fact that
the business firm paid the price demanded
by the Cnesa peake and Potomac Telephone
Company. The gentleman said in speaking
of the order:
Suppose we have man going away out
in the city to deliver some goods. The ad-
dress may rave been given him wrong or
something of the kind. AS q necessity he
must visit some place where there is tel
ephole to send message of inquiry to
headquarters to find out whether the ad-
dress is the correct one or not. Although
we pay the hign price demanded by the
company. he must take 10 cents and drop
IL in the slot before he can use the phone
for which We have paid and which is sup
posed to cover the extent of our indebted
ress to the telephone company.
The price set here by the telephone
company is much higher than il is in other
places In Buffalo. n. Y. II is about s25 or
and something like SIS $40 for public
ones, and is about the same in Rochester
Here we pay 800 for our phones. and must
guarantee so per month for the telephone
pay station When long-distance messages
are sent through this pay station. by the
way. we receive no rebate On them what
ever Then. again. have heard the charge
made frequently that different rates are
charged persons by the company. 1t is
claimed that they have no fixed rates. but
simply charge what they think will best
be suited to the place and circumstances.
The idea that when a man has two sep
arate and distinct businesses he cannot use
the phone to send a message from one
place to another appears one OF the
most arbitrary orders ever perpetrated up
on the public by corporation of any kind
whatever"
Company. Option.
To the telephone company is given the
option by itself, through its agents, of de-
Gliding whenever a conversation carried on
by a subscriber is legitimate. or In other
pCris. shall be carried on without extra
pay or not The whole matter rests with
the company, so that they have the privi-
lege OF deciding in this regard as they
choose. and when they choose without
consulting or knowing the circumstances
which exist To them is given the self
imposed task of deciding wien a man uses
the wire whether il is in business sense
simply to amuse himself by holding a
slight conversation with friend Such a
state OF affairs Is regarded not only ri
one which, encroaching upon the rights of
public or private citizens cannot be enter
tanned for a moment"
Mr.. Danenhower's- Statement.
Mr.. William w. Danenhower OF the Hotel
Fredonia, who had the injunction issued
against the Chesapeake and Potomac Tel
ephone Company. said to Star reporter
IN regard to the matter:
In my warehouse 1 have had a teIe-
phone for thirteen years. 1t has been in
my hotel for eight years. November
received letter from Mr.. Bryan of the
company. calling attention to the ilegfti-
mate use OF the telephone This was eight
years, mind you, that / had used the
phone. i paid no attention to it, The first
of the year / failed to receive a bill from
the company for the use of the telephone
for that quarter. The 10th OF January
sent check. i pay $l00 for the hotel phone
and Sl2O for the one in the warehouse The
same day I sent the check received an