Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-02
A POSTAL TELEPHONE
Senator Buffers Amendment to the
District Bill.
INSTANCES OF CHEAPENING RATES
Discussion of the Bankruptcy
Measure.
LOUD BILL AGAIN TAKEN UP

The proposition to establish postal-tele-
phone service in the District of Columbia
occupied the attention of the Senate this
afternoon. Mr.. Butler Of North Carolina
submitted an amendment he proposed to
make to the District appropriation BILL
" hich reads as follows:
THAT there shall be established, built,
operated ard carried on postal-telephone
system in Washington, D. c.. and the Dis
trict of Columbia, to be operated by the
Washington city post Office. under the gen.
eral control and direction of the Postmaster
General"
The amendment provides for the equip
ping of this telephone system with modern
appliances, and that all the public build
ings of the city shall be at once connected
with this system, while the charge to each
subscriber shall be sufficient to pay for
operating and maintaining the telephone
system and to provide for a sinking fund
to liquidate the cost of building and equip
ping it. For this purpose the sum of $780,
900 is appropriated by the amendment
Senator Butler then proceeded to address
the Senate upon the methods of a postal
telephone system. He said bill was pend
ing before Congress for chartering another
telephone company in the District. He said
such proposition was absurd: that if the
new company could furnish telephone
service for 80 for business purposes and
S36 for private houses, in view of two
telephone companies existing in the Dis
trist, 1t was reasonable to suppose that
a single telephone system could provide
SUCH service for one-half that price. Mr..
Butler cited instances of cheapenng tele-
phone services in other cities.
He said that at Roanoke, Va, a second
company had been allowed to come In and.
Iotwithst anding two companies made 1t
necessary to pay double operating expenses
and double dividends, the second company
coming into Roanoke were furnishing tele-
phones for business purposes at $40 and for
private houses at $12 per annum, whereas
the former rate had been $4S and $50.
He said that at Detroit. Mich, formerly
the charge had been SIP for business pur-
poses and $50 for private houses, but a sec
ond company had come in and reduced the
rate to $50 for business purposes and $3j
for private houses.
Senator Butler cited number of other in
stances of this kind. He concluded by
showing that IL such reductions could he
secured under such circumstances a postal
telephone service could be operated at a
very small cost. indeed. His amendment
was referred to the Senate committee on
The District of Columbia.
AS soon as the Senate convened today
on motion of Mr.. Hale (Me.), it went into
executive session.
During the executive session Senator
Hale moved to reconsider the vote by
which the nomination of Webster Flana-
gan. 10 be collector of internal revenue for
the third district of Texas was confirmed
yesterday In entering the motion MI
Hale sad that he had received letters say
ing that Mr.. Flanagan should not be con-
firmed. and that he merely asked recon-
sideration in order to permit an investiga-
ton. Senators Mills and Chiffon Of Texas
opposed the motion, saying that while they
did not agree politically with Mr.. Flana-
gan. they thought his confirmation should
stand. The motion was not acted upon.
At 1870 pm. the Senate resumed the
en- session. The conference report on the
pension appropriation bill presented by
Mr. Perkins agreed to.
Mr.. Mason Qll) of the committee OH
post offices and post roads presented a
concurrent resolution from the committee
for investigating the Lake City, s. c., post
office murder, and on objection by Mr.. AL
len (Neb) the resolution was laid over
until tomorrow.
Mr. Jones (Ark.) introduced resolution,
lSkich went over until tomorrow, calling
Upon the public printer for the names of
the > 4G6 republicans end 512 democrats who
were employed in the government printing
office on April 1, 1897, together with the
names and politics of all who have since
that time been reduced or removed, and the
-ea sons therefor.
A bill appropriatirg 100000 for the cree
tor of a pubic building at New Castle,
"a. was passed.
Mr.. Stewart (Nev.) then resumed his
speech on the bankruptcy bill passed by the
House.