Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-08
The Subject Debated at Length in
the Senate.
DISTRICT BILL UNDER CONSIDERATION
Senator Pettigrew Araigns the
Local Company.
CAPITAL AND DIVIDENDS


rates in the District of Columbia.
After The Stars report Of the Senate
proceedings closed Mr.. Allison offered the
following amendment, which was agreed
to:
And the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia are authorized to issue to the
Potomac Electric Power Company permits
for the construction and use of conduits
as follows: To connect the present con-
Quits of the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany with the overhead system belonging
to that company in the subdivision of Eek
1ngton beginning at Florida avenue and It'll
street, and thence by the shortest practi-
cal route. said route to be determined by
the Commissioners of the District of Co
lrmbla; also on Massachusetts avenue at
9TH street, northwardly, from the corner of
9th street to New York avenue
The following amendment was also of
fered by Mr.. Allison and adopted:
After October /, 1899, no person or cor
poraticn shall maintain in that portion of
the District of Columbia bounded by B
street north, 1st street east. Florida avenue
and Rock creek. any street pole not the
property CT the United States or the District
of Columbia, on which telephone wires are
strung. except the poles mentioned in the
schedule now on. file with the Commission
ers of the District of Columbia numbering
seventy-three in all (this schedule to be
filed at the request of the Commissioners,
which schedule also shows the location of
each of said poles, said poles being those
absolutely necessary for distributing Dur-
poses to furnish telephone service to SUBJ
Scrlbers in squares in which there are no
public alleys, in which, if such public
alleys exist, the telephone company is not
permitted to erect, maintain and use dis
tribut1ng poles. Failure on the part of any
person or corporation to remove all street
poles on which telephone wires are main
tanned by such person or corporation with
IN the limits above prescribed, and except
as ABOVE provided. shall subject the party
or parties SO offending to a fine of s25 for
each and every day during which such
failure or neglect shall be continued, to be
diction.
The Commissioners of the District of
columbia are hereby authorized to grant
permits to any person or corporation now
maintaining and operating a telephone
plant in the highways of the city of wash
ngton to construct, maintain and operate
such subways and conduits as may be nee
essary to place underground wires to he
removed from the streets as aforesaid, and
10 extend its conduits in streets and alleys
in the District OF Columbia under such
reasonable regulations as to appliances
character. location and maintenance of
said condutts as the Commissioners may
prescribe: Provided, That one duct in the
subways or conduits herein provided to be
constructed, sufficient to carry the Dis
trlct police and fire alarm wires and the
United states telegraph wires, shall be re-
served Tor the free use of the District of
Columbia and the United States where re-
CURED. In the District of Columbia all ex-
listing conduits within the city limits and
all overhead telephone lines outside the
city limits are hereby legalized until other
wise provided by law. The said Commits
sioners are further authorized to issue per
mits for the construction of overhead tele-
phone lines outside of the fire limits by
any individual or telephone comnanv ~
corporation"
On motion of Mr.. Pettigrew the appro-
priaton for the temporary home for ex-
Union soldiers and sailors was amended to
provide that such money should be expend-
ed under the direction of the Commission
ers of the District CT Columbia
Inc appropriation for the care of feebl,-
minded children was increased from SIS 600
10 s2s.OO; And the total appropriation for
the board of children's guardians was in
creased from $31. 600 to $4,000.
The appropriation for the free public
library was agreed to.
Guarding Against ElectroIysIS.
The amendment providing that within
twelve morths from the passage of the act
no person or corporation shall operate or
maintain within the District of Columbia
any dynamo or generator ETC., was op-
posed by Mr.. German.
THE reason assigned for this amend
ment." said Mr.. German, twas that the
electrical current from some of the over
head wires of the suburban roads running
out from Georgetown affected the delicate
Instruments at the Naval Observatory
Possibly that may be true; but it does seem
to ME, inview of the tremendous expendi-
tCre, which will mean bankruptcy to two
or three of those suburban roads, which
are poor and not now making sufficient
money to pay their ordinary running eX-
penses, that this drastic amendment should
1T he inc Tod in no ha
authorities, in connection with electricians
shall have an opportunity to ascertain what
is proper to be done in the case
Mr.. Lodge supported the amendment. He
said the return currents of electricity, II
left to be distributed in the earth, as they
are now, are extremely destructive to wa
ter pipes. etc.
Mr. Stewart said he feared the amend
ment would deprive some people in the sub
urbs of railway facilities. The amendment
was amended on motion of Mr.. Hale as fol-
lows:
Except upon the lines, or parts of lines,
owned by such persons corporations
which are authorized by the Commission
ers of the District of Columbia to maintain
such electrical contact or connection with
the earth
AS amended the amendment was agreed
to.
Local Telephone Rates.
The Senate then again took the provision
of the bill relating to telephone rates in the
District, the reductions recommended in
the bill as 1t passed the House having been
stricken out.
Mr.. Pettigrew spoke at considerable
length on the amendment.
THE rates heretofore" said Mr.. Petit
grew, have been from 500 to $125 for each
telephone Those rates are excessive to
the extent of more than 1G0 per cent. They
are more than a hundred per cent greater
than the rates charged in any city where
there is competition. In no other place but
this city are any such rates charged, unless
1t is a city where the same company has
their telephones.
1.-The telephone company organized in the
city of Washington has a capital stock of
S2.65o0O0 1t has a bonded Indebtedness of
S4o0.000. In other words, the stock repre-
sents not one dollar of investment. the en-
tire investment being represented by it's
bonds. OF this stock So per cent is owned
By the Bell Telephone Company. The Bell
Telephone Company is an organization pos
sessing nothing but their contracts ar the
stock of local companies. The stock which
they hold represents no investment what