The times., 1898-10-08
PREPARED FOR A Fight
Telephone Subscribers Will
Pool Their Resources.
ORGANIZED LAST NIGHT
At n Meeting I'm Willard Hall n
Permanent Association Was Form
ed and Thirty Five New Members
Signed the RoII-Ready Respon.e
10 an Appeal for Financial Aid.

The subscribers to the telephone SER
Vice Of the Chesapeake and Potomac Tel
ephone Company met last evening in VIII
lard's Hall and formed a permanent or
ganization for the purpose of providing
ways and means TO prosecute the suits
brought against the company TO enforce
compliance with the recent act of Con-
gress regulating the rates for telephone
service in the District of Columbia
There was a large number OF subscrib-
ers present, and interest in the under
taking was evidenced by the ready re-
sponse to the call for monthly contribu-
tions TO continue the legal fight. 1t was
further evident from the expressions of
those who addressed the audience that
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company is not held in the highest re-
gard by its patrons.
The subscribers organized last March
under the name of the Telephone Sub
scribers' Association, for the purpose of
appealing TO Congress for a reduction of
telephone rates in the District A COM
mlttee appeared before the congressional
committees on the District of Columbia
with the result that an act was passed
regulating the rates OF service, the high
est rate allowed being $50 for single in
strument. The Chesapeake and Potomac
Company refused TO serve its subscribers
in accordance with the terms Of the law
and threatened. if the old rates were not
Forthcoming. to remove its telephones
As result numerous suits have been in
sltuted against the company TO enjoin il
from removing the instruments.
The meeting last night was presided
over by o. G. Staples, who presented A.
A. Birney, one of the attorneys for the
association. who told what had been done
il the fight for lower rates since the last
meeting Of the organization. While Mr.
Birney was speaking the gas went out.
and for few minutes the hall was in
complete darkness, and some one want
ed 10 know If the gas company had
formed combination with the telephone
company 10 stop the meeting
When Mr.. Birney continued he said
that since the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company had employed addi-
tional counsel IL was getting more and
more threatening every day, and ne
would not be surprised TO learn of its at
tempting TO take out the telephones Of
the subscribers. If they do he said, suits
for damages will be brought. He also
stated that four or five more injunction
suits would be fled within the next few
days.
Speaking of the business affairs of the
company he said that the amount invest
ed in the District Of Columbia was only
s77,000, while in the last seven years the
clear profits were over s27S, coo. He told
Of the rates for telephone service in other
cities, which, he said, where there is com
petition, is about S45 per annum. The
fight OF the Washington subscribers, he
stated. is being closely watched by the
people OF the whole country.
". ". D2nenhower and J. J. HemphiIl
also made speeches, and predicted sue
cess for the subscribers.
At the conclusion Of the speeches il was
decided by unanimous vote that the sub
scribers who pay 800 or over for the use
OF a telephone shall pay s. monthly into
the association fund and those who
pay less than 500, $3.50 per month.
In addition to those who were already
contributing members, thirty-five new
members signed, about ten of whom
come under the $3.50 clause. O. G. Staples
and Henry W Woodward, respectively
president and secretary of the old ass 5ci-
alton, were elected TO the same offices in
the permanent organization.