Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-17
Citizens Meet to Protest Against
Local Telephone Rates.
METHODS And TARIFF CONDEMNED
Approval of Amendment to Pending
Bill Regulating Service.
2 U BLIC MEETING CALLED

The popular movement which has been
taxing shape for some time in opposition
to the rates and methods of the telephone
company assumed another phase last
evening, when, in response to a call issued
to some fifty business men, users of the
telephone, meeting was held at the FIRE.
donia Hotel. 1t was evident from the
attendance that practically all who had
received invitations were present, and, in
fact. Mr.. w. w. Danenhower, who had
sent out the notices, stated as mucn when
he called the meeting to order.
1t was decided to call a general ma 50
meeting, to be held in Willard Hall Mon
day evening next, and a committee. rem
resentinS, as far as possible, the business
and professional men of the city, was
appointed to prepare for the gathering.
A meeting of this committee will be held
Saturday evening.
A resolution was adopted disapprovine
the methods and rates of the Potomac
anu Snesapeake Company, approving the
amendment to the District appropriation
Dill regulating telephones in the District
requesting subscribers to indorse this ac,
uon and appealing to Congress to act
promptly and give the relief desired a
committee was also appointed to inves-
ugate other telephone systems and report
at the public meeting.
The Objects Stated,
Mr.. Danenhower called the meeting to
order and briefly stated the objects and
tnen proposed that Mr.. o. G. STABLES he
made chairman. This was agreed to. and
MT. staples, coming forward, said he wouId
De glad to cooperate in any way with the
movement, and was in full sympathv with
.he OBJECTS, but he was a busy man, and
ne iei1 that some one should be placed at
the mead who would be able to give more
tlme 10 the work than he could
He suggested Mr.. Horatio Browning MS
CHAIRMAN, but Mr.. Browning said that
wihe ne was heart and soul in the move
nent, his health was such that If yyonIj he
Impossible for him to take the place Mr.
staples then assumed the duties of chair
ian ana made short address, in which
ne spoke OF his experience with the teIe-
phone company and his action in directing
the phones to be removed from the hotels
Whlch he manages. He said 1t was neces-
sary, before he had taken this action, to
nave one OF MS telephones moved from one
part or a building to another. The work
was done by the company and a charge
made of s.. After this controversy arose
another telephone was moved End the
ci arse made by the company was 49,
Mr.. Staples said he understood the doc
tors and druggists were willing to resist
the demands of the telephone COMPANY nd
ne thought If they and other subscribers
would unite they would succeed in bring
ing the corporation to terms He referred
TO remarks made by the president of the
company, Mr.. Bryan, before the House Dis
trlct committee some time ago, in which
ne stated that the LEGAL telephone company
was originally capitalized at 100000 The
control was then purchased by the Ameri-
can Bell Telephone Company, the capital
lzatlon increased to S2,GOO,OO0, and the
local company given the name of the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany. Dividends were now paid on that
amount of capital, when the entire plant
d1d not cost more, In all probability, than
half a million dollars