The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-09

to Conference.
The debate on the District appropria-
ton bill continued for three hours yester-
day. during all of which time the tele-
phone monopoly of the District was under
fire. 1t was apparent early in the day
that Tie committee would be defeated in
its effort TO strike out the House pro
vision reducing the rates for telephone
service in the District. The debate was
at times acrimonious and bitter, and
when the vote was taken forty-one sena-
tors repudiated the committee and stood
by the House. and twenty agreed with
the committee that the whole subject
should be turned over TO the Conference
Committee for final settlement
The vote was as follows:
For the House Professionalism. Baker
Bacon, Bate, Berry. Burrows, Butler.
Caffery Carter Chiffon Clark Clay.
Cockrell, Davis, Deboe. Fairbanks, Frye
Hale. Hansbrough. Harris, Hawley. Heit-
field. Jones of Arkansas. kenney Kyle.
Lindsay, Mcbride. Mallory. Morgan. Mel
son, Pasco Perkins, Pettigrew, Pettus
Teller. Turley Turner Turpie Vest,
Warren, Wilson. Total IL
Against the House Experimentation.
Cannon, Cullom, Faulkner, Foraker, Cor
man, Gray, Hoar, Lodge, Mcmillan Ma
son. Morrill,, Murphy, Penrose, Platt of
Connecticut Plat of New York. Quay.
Sewell, Stewart. Wolcott. Total %.
BY this decisive vote the Senate agreed
TO the following provision for the regula-
ton of the telephone service as passed by
the House:
Provided, That from and after the pas
sage Of this act it shall be unlawful for
any person or any telephone company
I doing business in the District of Co
lumbia to charge or receive more than
/ $50 per annum for the use of tele-
/ phone on q separate wire: $40 for each
/ telephone, there being not more than two
( on wire; $50 for each telephone. there
/ being not more than three on a wire, and
/ So for each telephone. there being four
or more on the same wire"
/ The debate began promptly after the
morning business. when Mr. Allison
/ called up the bill and moved that the
! House provision be stricken out.
/ Senator Berry made vigorous speech
against the motion. He accused the
telephone company of being a corpora
! ton and monopoly that was charging
eXtoriionate prices for its service Il
was time that Congress should do some
thing to limit the power Of this COM
pany; for years senators OF both pa
ties had denounced corporations. and
| trusts. and now the time had come whe1
men could and should vote as they
I talked. Every senator who had made a
political speech had attacked thost
trusts, and here was one that had bur,
dened the people Of this District, whC
were crying for relief.
Mr.. Berry said he had been in the Sen.
ate thirteen years and he hoped that low
the time had at last come when the Sen
ate would vote as IL had talked for years
when the power Of trusts and combine.
would be limited.
Referring 10 the attitude of Senator
Faulkner who favored the elimination al
the House proposition, Mr. Berry cai,
that during the campaign OF 1896 he as the
y
tons Of litera ture denouncing trusts anC
saying that if that party was put in pow.
or the enormous influence of these trust.
should be limited. Now Mr.. Faulkner anC
others We're arguing against the yer!
thing that was then promised.
Mr.. Berry said he did not know a MAJ
connected with the telephone company
but he did know that its charges wer'
oppressive and that the people were cry
ing aloud for relief
Mr.. Faulkner replied that in his posi-
tion he WAS acting solely as the agen
Of the United States Senate. when,
said Nh. Faulkner, warmly. in reply L
Mr.. Berry's insinuation, when ] wa
circulating thousands of tons OF litera
ture in 1896, against trusts and com
Dines. / did not suppose that / was tn
. agent OF any party that believed in act
ing and then investigating afterwards.
Mr.. Foraker said he was in favor o
limiting the powers of trusts. but init
mated that there was q good deal o
domagoEy on the subject
The whole subject, he said was being in
vestigated by men who were in favor o
. bringing down the price and putting th'
telephone company under such restric
lions as VIII protect the people of th'
District.
All the facts brought out in this in
vestigation would, he Old, be laid befor,
the conferees. and their report will not b,
made until these facts are fully known
and the whole plan could be worked GU
in conference.
THE bill only lasts for year any how
and if we do an injustice ii can b.
righted when we meet next December,
said Mr. Cockrell.
we should not do an injustice even 70
that period" replied Mr.. Faulkner.
Even II we do. said Mr. Cockren, 81
will not be 50 great as the injustice i'm
posed upon the people Of this District b,
this company for years"
If oue-halr the statements in tn.
papers are true with respect 10 the reg
uIations prescribed by the telephone com
pany. said Mr.. Faulkner, there shoult
be such a provision inserted by the con
ferees as will cover the whole subject
We trust, when this question shall b.
finally settled, that the conferecs shall
have reached some plan that win abso
lutely control the whole business of tn,
company
Returning TO Mr.. Faulkners reference
10 demagogy, Mr.. Berry, when he again
got the fioo~. said that if the senate
from West Virginia was a demagogu
when he sent out his literature in 1896 h
must answer for 1t. when ! took hi
literature up IN the campaign" said Nh
Berry. Il believed in it. and believed I
was the right sort OF doctrine. I advo
Gated il and / propose today to vote d
] talked then. Others can do as the,
please"
Mr.. Berry said that any man who. OF
the floor Of the House votes i'm publ
where he can be seen one way and the
came over to the Senate and secretl
I asked that what he voted for be repeale,
was a man as could not be trusted quit
so freely as = man who would not pur
/ sue this course 81 don't know WIN,