Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-01
Subscribers Telephone Association
Receiving Accessions Daily.
TIE APPEAL MADE TO CONGRESS
Tabular Statement of Rates Charged
in Other Cities.
PLANS OF ORGANIZATION

said, and the membership roll Is growing
al rapid rate. Tie responses to the cir
culars addressed to patrons of the COM
paEy are most liberal, and each new mem
Ter OF the association promises his hearty
support. That there is a determination of
purpose can best be judged by the tone of
some Of the letters.
The committee appointed to draft meas
ures to be presented to Congress has pre-
pared reports, which have been forwarded
to the Capitol. The association announces
that 1T will not rest with the mere pre-
sentation of these bills to Congress, but
will use every honest endeavor to urge
their importance upon those who can af-
ford the relief sought.
The subcommittee of the Senate, in
charge Of II. r. bill 6S97 has received from
the subscribers association the following,
which is proposed substitute for the
provision of that bill so far as it relates to
telephones:
provided, That from and after the pas
sage of this act it shall be unlawful for
any person or any telephone company doing
bl siness in the District of Columbia to
charge or receive for the use of any tel
ephone more than the following rates per
annum, namely: $50 for each telephone
Used in hotels or other places CT business;
s36 for each telephone used in residences,
phone exchange; and for each additional
mile beyond such radius a further charge
per annum of 81 to places of business and
s. TO residences; and any subscriber for the
Use of any telephone at the maximum rates
above specified shall be entitled to services
not inferior to the best service now given
by any telephone company in the District
of Columbia. And provided also, That any
person entitled to telephone service, his
servants and the members of his immediate
family, but no other person, shall have the
right to use, without extra charge. any
other telephone equipment, with the con-
sent Of the subscriber to the aforementioned
equipment; and any owner, operator, agent
or other person who shall charge. collect
or receive fCr the use of any telephone any
sum in excess of the rates fixed by this act,
or refuse to any person any privilege or
right herein specified, shall be deemed guilty
CT a misdemeanor. and. on conviction, shall
be fined, not TO exceed SIS.
Letter of Explanation.
In letter accompanying the draft the
association says the rates specified are the
highest allowed anywhere where competi-
ton with the Bell company has been estab-
lshed. The communication suggests that
If the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company is obliged to pay such excessive
sums for royalties and supplies that II can
not comply with the terms proposed, the
following is proposed as an amendment to
be added to the substitute, the purpose be-
ing to allow another company or companies
to come in and create competitions:
Provided, further, that in the event that
any company now doing telephone business
in said District shall for thirty days from
the passage of this Get neglect or refuse to
adjust and fix its rates for telephone serv-
ice in accordance with this act, then the
said Commissioners may in their discretion
permit any other company or companies to
use the streets, alleys, highways and public
ions. fT,r r.alp md
under their supervision, to lay necessary
conduits and wires therein, and to erect
nee essary poles in alleys, on conditions that
such company or comps MES shall charge
and receive for the unlimited use of their
telephones only such rates as may be fixed
by the said Commissioners, not to exceed
the rates above specified.
Provided, further, that before said COM
pany shall begin the construction of any
plant or open any street, it shall file with
the Commissioners of the District of Column
bia its bond to them, with satisfactory
sureties in the sum of 100000, conditioned
that II will restore the streets to their Or
iginal condition and will maintain it's tele
phone service in full operation for a period
of five years"
Reply to President Bryan.
The communication to the subcommittee
also contains among ether things the fol-
lowing:
peake and Potomac Telephone Company
that the rates in this city are as cheap as
in other cities of this size in the Union
is of no consequence, in view of the we'll
known fact that the local companies in all
these cities are controlled by the American
Bell Telephone Company, which controls
the local company operating in this city.
In other words, when we appeal to the eX-
perience of other cities of this size we SIM
ply appeal to the same company that eS-
tablishss the rates here. In every city in
the Union where competition has been es-
tablished the competing company has given
O service at less rate"
Figures furnished by committee Of III,
association shows some of the reductions
made by the Bell company when COM
petitors entered the field. They are as
follows
Detroit, from $40 and $50 to $50 and s24;
Augusta, Ca, from s66 to $50 and s25: Ro-
anoke, SIS and $50 to SO and ST.; Rich
mond. $50 and $40 to $50 and SIS; Savannah.
sfa and $50 to $50 and $42. Other rates are
given as follows: Cincinnati, $125 and 500,
no comp tition; Chillicothe, Ohio, home
company, $24 and SIS; Jacksonville, $50 and
s24; New York, $40. new bill fixes rate at
s125 Cleveland Ohio. s72 and 500; Toronto,
Canada, $40 and s25.
1t is explained why no difficulty can exist
in securing the service of competitive COM
pany, as $4,000 capital is invested in tele-
phone business independent Of the Bell,
embracing 1000 exchanges. There are also
forty or more factories making supplies
independent of the Bell.
Without Visible Possessions.
1t is further asserted in the communica-
ton to the Senate committee that the Bell
company has no visible possessions other
than its patent rights, and a statement is
taken from the report of the bureau Of la
Dor statistics showing that from 1881 to
1896 dividends have been paid ranging from
per cent to IS per cent. In conclusion,
the association says:
II the local company pays as small a
dividend as Mr.. Bryan asserts. the royal
ties for patents owned by the Bell Tele-
phone Company must lie enormous to en-
able 1t to pay these dividends upon SIG, Co.,
go. The citizens of this District protest
against paying these dividends upon pat
ents many of which have long since ex-
pired, when there are other companies OPP
Grating under the new patents anxious to