Evening star., 1898-02-16
INTEREST GROWING
Increasing Sentiment Against Extor-
tionate Telephone Charges.
DISTRICT DRUGGISTS TAKE ACTION
Speaker Reed Will Appoint a
Strong investigating Committee.
BUSINESS MEMS MEETING

Mr.. William W. Danenhower, proprietor
of the Hotel FreGonia, has invited fifty
representative business men of Washington
to meet at the Fredonia tonight for the
purpose of considering the relations exist
ing between the commercial world of the
District and the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company. The meeting will
doubtless be well attended as there is very
deep interest in the matters to be consid-
cred. and it is expected that there will be
an interchange of views upon the best man
ner of proceeding toward an amelioration
of the onerous policy which the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company is now
pursuing toward it's patrons
1t is also probable that arrangements
Will be made for a mass meeting of tele-
phone subscribers to be held at an early
date. There is considerable inclination
n anifested among the telephone patrons
Who believe they are being imposed On by
the company to make test case and carry
the matter up to the United States Su-
pIeme Court. Judge Cox's recent decision
in the Hotel Fredonia case was not salts
factory to the great majority of telephone
patrons, although no criticism of the legal
prcpriety of 1t is induged in. 1t is beIiev-
ed, however, that another case may be
brought in which the discrimination prac-
ticed by the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele
phone Company in the treatment of its
patrons may be brought out and an equit-
able policy be order ed by the courts.
Case in Point.
One case of alleged discrimination in the
charge for the service of public telephone
in drug store is being extensively quoted
There is a public telephone in Bealrs drug
store, at the southeast corner of Connecti-
cut avenue and street 1t is not a slot
machine, but any one may use it upon the
payment of cents to the proprietor or one
OF his clerks. AT all other drug stores so
1t is claimed, the charge for message over
telephone is 10 cents.
Cheap Telephones in the Country.
The question of the cost of installing and
operating telephone exchange has been a
very much vexed cne, and the general i'm
preston seems to be that the claims Of the
officials of city telephone companies have
been very much exaggerated. This seems
to be substantiated by the statement of a
corresp ondent from GAINESVILLE, Nd. tell
ing of the actual est of telephone lines in
the country surrounding Washington The
local companies at Boyd's and Gathers
burg. in Montgomery county, Md, he says
furnish an excellent service to their pat
rons, the majority OF whom live at a dis
tance of five, ten and twenty miles from
the exchange; yet their charges have been
only 30. 80 and s15 year. Each phone
placed at such annual rental connects the
subscriber with dozen towns ten or twen-
ty miles distant, and an efficient exchange
is maintained from early morning till late
at night.
Pharmacists Take Decisive Action.
A largely attended meeting of the Dis
trict of Columbia Pharmaceutical Associa-
tion was held this morning at the National
College of Pharmacy, sos 1 street north
ura
pied the chair. The subject of the relations
between druggists and the telephone COM
pany was discussed with much anima tion
after which resolutions were unanimously
adopted declaring that the members of the
District of Columbia Pharmaceutical As
sociat1on unanimously agreed not to sign
any of the contracts that have been sub
mitted by the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company
1t was further resolved that the members
would agree to continue with their present
contracts, and to unanimously indorse the
to the District of Columbia an
pre- priatfon bill regulating the telephone
rates in the District Of Columbia
Bill for New Company.
In the Senate today Mr. Cullom intro
duced bill introduced in the House On the
1th instant by Mr.. Jenkins to authorize
the Automatic Telephone Exchange Com
pany to construct, operate and maintain a
telephone exchange in the District of CO.
lumbia. The bill was referred to the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia.
A Strong Committee to BE Named,
Speaker Reed has not yet appointed the
special committee to investigate the gas
and telephone companies. He is discuss
ing the probable personnel of the COM
mittee with memoers of the House with a
View to selecting a strong committee.
The Speaker realizes. it is said, that there
Is universal demand among the people OF
this city for amelioration of the condi-
tions imposed upon them by the telephone
company and he has listened to the argu-
ments advanced by members of the House
that u thorough investigation of telephone
rates would be the first step in the direc-
ton of reduction of rates.
1t has been suggested to the Speaker that
some members of the House committee on
appropriations should be placed on the in
vestigating committee, as the appropria
tions committee is called upon to deal
with the subjects of telephone and gas
rates. The information obtained through
the investigation would be of benefit to
the committee on appropriations in support
OF the pending amendment to the District
appropriation bill reducing the rates for
telephones.