Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-22
MEET AND PROTEST
Telephone Subscribers Take Action
for Reduction of Rates.
A MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS ADOPTED
Demand Made for Legislation to
Authorize Competition.
THE OFFICERS ELECTED

l. L L
President Bryan of the Chesapeake and
| Potomac Telephone Company is reported to
| have stated yesterday, to a committee rep
| resentng the association organized to Sc
! cure lower rates for telephone subscribers
| in the District, that the association only
! represented about 100 subscribers Had
| President Bryan CHANGED to enter Willard
Hall last evening he would unquestionably
| have changed his mind. In the neighbour
| hood of GOO representative business ard
professional men of the national capital as
| sembled in the hall in mass meeting and
| expressed themselves In manner that W; 8
| conclusive of their purpose. These six hun
| dred subscribers, it was evident, mean to
! secure relief or know the reason why
| Prior to adjournment they gave evidence
| by a rising vote of their intention to order
the removal of their telephones, unless re-
| lief is secured.
| When Mr.. o. G. Staples called the meet
| ing to order, shortly after o'clock, it was
| impossible to locate an unoccupied seat
| and there was by no means surplus of
| standing room in the hall. The first bust
| ness of the evening was the reading of the
| minutes of the preceding meetings by the
| temporary secretary, Mr.. Henry F. Wood
/ Dr.,
| and next the secretary read the letter re-
| lating to telephone rates and the success
| of the automatic company in Detroit, Mich
| igan, received from Gov. H. S. Pingree of
! Michigan. The reading of the letter, which
| was published in full in yesterdays Star
| evoked great enthusiasm. The secretary
| read letters expressing hearty sympathy
| with the movement from H. B. Babbitt.
| Marvin A. Gusts, the trained nurses of
Washington, George A. and William B.
| King. F. H. Walker & Co. William Much
| leisen. George w. Merriam & Co.. Louis P
| Shoemaker, B. B. Earnshaw & Bro, John
| w. Jennings, Benjamin G.. McQuade, the
Elphonso Youngs Company and William F.
| Mattingly & Son.
! Business First I'm Order.
| The presiding officer stated that the first
| business in order was the matter of perma-
nent organization. He called on Mr. w.
| w. Danenhower. who presented plan of
| organization, which was also published
| yesterday in The Star. The question was
put to vote and the plan was adopted unan-
| imously and without loss of time. The
| election of permanent officers was next
| taken up. Mr.. Staples was nominated for
! president, from all sections of the hall.
| He attempted to say that he really did not
| have time to attend to the duties of the
| office, when he was declared to be out of
| order. Secretary Woodland was thereupon
| directed to take a vote. Without prelim-
| inaries of any sort. the secretary arose and
| announced that it gave him great pleasure
to state that Mr.. Staples was unanimously
| elected.
Il don't see how I can do very much"
! President Staples began to say, when a
voice from the rear of the hall shouted:
| Get another 'phone!'
| Mr.. Thomas w. Smith was unanimously
| elected first vice president and for second
| vice president MessrS. w. w. Danenflower.
| ]. Ford Thompson H. l.. E. johnson, Fred
c. Gieseking and others were nominated.
1t was decided to leave the selection of
| second vice president and the remainder
| of the officers to a nominating committee,
| and the chair named Messrs. Fred L. Sid
| dons. w. W. Danenhower and w. M. Har-
per to serve as such
| Pending the report Of the committee on
| invitation of President Staples all partook
| of refreshments served in an adjoining
| room in unlimited quantities. The recess
was also taken advantage of by many pres
| ent, who acted without invitation, to sign
the plan of organization and contribute s.
| each.
| Approve of the Plan.
Those who attached their names to the
| paper were George w. Linkins, Ralph w.
Lee, A. F. A. King, George Byrd Harrison,
Charles R. Talbert, E. A. French & Co.,
J. S. Stone. w. p. Carr. Hendrickson & Co.,
| G. w. Merrill, Howard L. Wilkins, ]. Ber-
| man. Wilton ]. Lambert. W. ii. H. Cis-
sell & Son. P. Mann, Cramer & Bligh,
| Tyree & Fitch, Cameron & Chandler Will
| bert Clarey, H. M. Schneider j. r. Walker
| &, Sons, F. A. Dennison & Co, Hutton &
| Frank Leech, D. B. Street, George w.
| Wise, B. B. Earnshaw & Bros. w. H. Cole
| man, A. E. Bethel, Marshall & Ball, Wea-
ver Kengla & Co, r. H. Walker & Co.,
| r. Marshall. Collins & Gaddis, H. P. p.
| Thompson, NJ. D., Church & Stevens. At
well & Stubblefield, Miller & Roller, F. T.
| Chamberlain. NJ. D., Richardson & Burger,
w. ]. Dillenback, M. D., R. L. Cooper, ].
Wy D<l~ AZ II ID
inson, E. l.. Frederick, NJ. Coleman.
! o. G. Staples. Henry F. Woodland
George w. Knox Express Company, Hart
man & Cadick. Union Central Life In
Fred c. Gieseking, E. NJ. Miller, George E.
Shehan. T. r. Marshall. Davis Brothers,
w. S. Hoge and Brother, ]. L. Newbold
Fred s. Smith. w. T. Galliher & Co.. A.
Schneider. w. w. Danenhower, Brice &
Lipscomb, William B. Creecy, Wescott
Wilcox & eHeiston, J. Louis Loose, Wood
ward & Lothrop, w. B. Moses & Son,
John Miller, Thomas w. Smith. w. M.
Harper, Julius Lansburgh Furniture and
| Carpet Company, G. H. Baughman, AL
fred Terry, Christian Moerlein, J. P. Har-
rington, K. T. Berry, Charles Schneider
| Columbia Autograph Company, Julius
Baumgarten, J. H. Kuehling. Samuel Ben
singer. F. G. Swain & Son, L. B. Lattimer
J: M Strassbulger. J. L. Redman & Son.
Halter Halter. Mcdowell & Son. N. Nc
| Kay. p. G. Garden. Owen Owen. E. G.
Bentley, Ralph L. Gait, NJ. Dyrenforth &
| Co. and Tyler & Rutherford.
Report of Nominating Committee.
The nominating committee, when the
meeting was again called to order, pro-
posed officers as follows, and the selections
were unanimously approved: President, O.
| 6. Staples: vice presidents, Thomas W.
Smith and DR.. H. L. E. Johnson; secretary
Henry F. Woodland: assistant secretary,
Forrest P. Tralles; board Of managers, A.
| M. Lothrop, w. H. Moses. F. b. Noyes, J.
| Louis Loose, Arthur A. Birney, E. H
Thomas, v. Baldwin Johnson, Horatio
| Browning, T. r.. Marshall T. ]. Meyer, W.
| B. Davis. ]. M Hoge. F. K. Raymond, r.
C. Gieseking. r. M. Barber, ]. L. Newbold
G.. A. shehan. w. 8. Thompson. c. G. Stott,
| Joseph Richardson. r. G. Rutherford, W.
| NJ. Harper, J. Ford Thompson and T. b.
| Babbitt.
! The Memorial.
Mr.. Arthur A. Birney, chairman Ct the
committee previously appointed I'd prepare
a memorial to Congress, suggested the fol-
| lowing: