Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-28
EMPLOYEES TESTIFY
Continuance Of the Telephone Inves-
tigation by Congress.
SECRETARY and SUPERINTENDENT
They Testify as to Supplies and
Construction.
QUESTIONS ASKED

The subcommittee of the House commit
tee on appropriations for the investigation
Of the telephone service in the District OF
Columbia met this morning at 1913 Mr..
Pitney and Mr.. Dockery were present
Horace w. upperman secretary and pur-
CHASING agent of the telephone company,
was the first witness sworn. He testified
that he had been clerk in the office of
the president Of the company for some
time up to 1853, when he became secretary
OF the company and in 1895 became pur
chasing agent in addition to his duties
secretary.
Purchase of Supplies.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Jere NJ. Will
son, counsel for the telephone company,
Mr.. Upperman described the manner in
which purchases of the company are made.
He said purchases are made under com
petition and almost invariably the lowest
bids accepted.
He said they had never bought supplies
from the Western Electric Company when
such supplies could be secured cheaper from
sc me other company. There We're, ne said,
other companies in New York which fur
Eish the same things as are furnished by
the Western Electric Company.
In reply to questions by Mr.. j. H. Hemp
hill, counsel for the Peoples Association,
Mr.. Upperman said the company paid $3.50
for electric bells used on telephone instru-
Tents.
Mr.. Hemphil asked the proportion of sup
plies purchased from the Western Electric
Company and from other companies, and
What proportion of the purchases from the
Western Electric Company could have been
bought from other companies. The witness
could not answer this question without
looking up the data.
Cost of Constructions.
d ncIo
of construction Of the company since 1887,
was put on the stand. He has under him
from fifty to siXty-five employees for the
work in the District of Columbia He said
the wages paid by the company are rather
below wages generally paid for the same
class of work. He said up to December 81,
1897, the company had laid over 10000 feet
OF underground conduit. The principal
construction was done in 1891 and 1892.
Previous to 1891 they used the solid system,
but in 1891 they began to construct the
'drawing-fn' system. The drawing-in sys-
tenn was preferred. as it allowed repairs to
the cable to be made without digging UP
the street.
Mr.. Pitney asked what new construction
was done since 1891. The witness replied
that very little was done except in 1854
The old solid duct conduit had amounted
to 1000 feet. The solid conduits carrying
two ducts cost for each duct from 81 to
SIG per foot and 65 cents a foot to law
The same conduits had been replaced at a
saving of $1,000 for the 5000 feet of double
ducts, and the drawing-in conduits replac-
Ing the old solid conduits contained eight
instead of two ducts.
Maintenance Really Construction.
Mr.. Pitney desired the witness to explain,
from reference to his books, which We're
at hand, what work was recorded under
the head of maintenance, which was really
construction in the replacing of old con-
f,trif
to the witness and began conversing with
him. Mr.. Pitney objected to the president
of the company Interfering with the wit
ness, and said the latter must be allowed
to testify without any exchange of views
with Mr.. Bryan. The witness examined his
be oks for some time. After examining the
books showing work of maintenance. he
said that on four pages he found construc-
ton work. He testified that replacing of
Old corduits by new cCnduits was put down
under maintei ance.
In rer1y to a question by Mr.. Hemplil,
the witness said the company used no solid
ccrduit at the present time; all such con-
Quits had been replaced by the drawing
cCnduits."
At 1928 o'clock a recess was taken until
l o'clock.
Electrical Equipment.
The telephone investigation was resumed
about 100.
Mr. j. E. Crandall was the first witness
sworn. He said he was the electrician and
general superintendent of equipment of the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
p&ny. He described his duties. His direct
examination was conducted by Mr.. Wilson,
attorney of the company. He said that his
work was that of equipment. He was asked
what was the character of material he
used He replied that as to quality the
material was the very best, and that a
great variety OF material was used. He
said, for instance, that there were some
eight or ten kinds Of Office wire used. He
said that the bells were very expensive
He described infinitely the delicate con-
structicn of the telephone and the high
grade of material and delicacy Of work
manship required.
He said that the bells were purchased of
the Weston Electric Company, and that
there was no better bell made, and none
of that sort to be got anywhere in this
country except of the Weston Electric
Company.
He said that he had from twenty-five to
thirty employees in his branch Of the serv-
ice and Of this number fifteen We're ex-
perts They had much night and Sunday
work to do.
He said that he knew of no place where
the number of employees or the expense of
material could be reduced. He explained
why none but the very expensive bells
used by the company would do for their
purposes. They used, he said. but two sets
of bells, and the difference in price between
them was only about 10 or 50 cents.
FOURTH-CLASS GRADUATES.
of Jealous Young Officers.