Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-14
He Declares That Certain Estimates
Are Not Reliable.
RESUMPTION OF TELEPHONE INQUIRY
Facts Regarding the Revenue at
Pay Stations.
CONTROL OF THE PATENTS

AT tOdayS meeting OF the Speclal SUD-
committee OF the House appropriations
committee charged with fnquirng into the
local telephone rates President Bryan of
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company resumed his remarks.
Mr.. Bryan said the statements of the
counsel for the citizens were unreliable,
and he proposed to demonstrate their I'M
reliability. Referring to the estimate Of a
construction company, recently submitted
by the counsel for the citizens, in which
the cost of 2OO-wire line, on G0-foot poles,
was stated. Mr.. Bryan said 6O-foot pole
with 200 wires on 1t would leave but twelve
feet clearance between the last arm and
the ground, and would not be practicable
in city. He analysed the details of the
estimates, and held that in each item the
cost stated therein was lower than the
actual market price. He claimed that the
cable proposed to be laid at the prices
quoted was not good quality, and had been
tried in this city and abandoned.
Pay Stations at Drug Stores.
Mr.. Bryan also said that the company, in
establishing public telephone stations in
drug stores, was moved by the fact that
the old system of private telephones was
abused. The telephones were the common
property of, the whole neighborhood. The
company replaced the old instruments with
the slot machines. The druggist is allowed
to the instrument free for doctors and
druggists calls, but the public is charged
~ cents call. In every station where
this system exists the free calls exceed the
pay calls. Some of these pay stations are
required to guarantee the company $40 a
month income from the telephone
The number of pay stations established
was 1872. The result has been far from en-
pay revenue of only cent for each call.
One of them paid only 81 in month.
Mr.. Bryan denied the charge made by
counsel for the citizens that subscriber
was refused information from the tele-
phone exchange of the location of a fire,
supposedly in the neighborhood of his res
idence.
Mr.. Bryan said m that case it had been
found that the company had not refused
to connect the subscriber with another SUBJ
scriber, but the operator had declined to
tell the location of the fire. That was in
pursuance of an order, made necessary he
said, by the abuse Of the custom Of calling
upon the operators for all kinds of infor-
mation-base ball news, location of fires
and even the time Of day. To furnish such
information slowed down the business of
the office by consuming the time Of the
office.
Mr.. Pitney asked if an evening newspa-
per, being telephone subscriber, desiring
news of base ball game, would be allowed
to call up a subscriber near the ball
grounds and ascertain the score.
Mr.. Bryan said there was nothing to pre-
vent such course.
Mr.. Pitney said the contract seemed to
expressly forbid such transaction.
Alleged Leakage of Confidential Mat
Mr.. Bryan referred to the charge made by
counsel for the citizens that a treasury
official, in communicating with New York
correspondent over the long distance tele-
phone, had found his communication I'M
der discussion in the telephone exchange,
even after he had been assured by Mr..
Bryan THAI the wire was clear.
Mr.. Bryan said he had never figured in
that instance, and he demanded to know
the name of the official, that the charge
might be investigated Mr.. Bryan said the
charge had gone forth in the newspapers
to the injury of the telephone company and
he wanted an opportunity to refute it.
The Bell COmpany's Patents.
Mr.. Bryan denied Mr.. Hempblrs former
statement that the only patent owned by
the Bell Telephone Company is the Ber-
liz er patent. He said the first patent of the
Bell company expired in 1892. The Beriincr
patent issued in 1879 or 1880 Mr.
Blake's patent was purely a structural pat
ent, and was not considered fundamental.
IL is true that the Berliner patent was held
up for eleven or twelve years in the patent
office, by an interference The telephone
receiver Is public property The transmit
ter is covered by patent.
Mr.. Bryan then detailed the history of
the telephone patent litigation. The Ber-
liner patent he said, is sufficiently broad
to control the business of telephony in the
United States during the life of the patent
DO you take the position, them asked
Mr.. Pftney, that the only telephone sys-
TEN which is available for the people of
the District is the one covered by the Ber-
nfer patent?''
That is my opinion" said Mr. Bryan.
Then that may make our duty more
clear to control the existing company"
said Mr.. Pitney.
Yes, and not to authorize an infringing
patent to be used.' replied Mr.. Bryan
Mr.. Hemphill coEtroverted Mr.. Bryans
denial of his staten entS.
You know that the Berliner patent ran
for fourteen years" said Mr.. Hemphill
The statement that / made to which YOU
took exception was furnished upon as good
authority as your own statement. 1 state
that the Berliner patent covers practically
lie same thing as the patent on the orig
inal receiver and transmitter.'
After some further discussion over the
status of the patents the committee ad-
1ourned until Wednesday at 1890 o'clock
The committee will visit the Chesapeake
and Potomac telephone exchange and will
so visit the Automatic exhibition ex-
change some time this waeE