The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1899-12-09
COMPETITION IN PHONES
The Washington Company Would
Enter the Local Field.
A Bill Introduced I'm Congress by
Representative Mudd-The District
IncOrpOratiOn-One Service COnsid-
cred Sufficient to Meet All Needs.

A great deal of interest has been excit-
ed among the business men of the Dis
trict in regard to the bill which was in
troduced in the House OF Representatives
Thursday, to incorporate the Washing
ton Telephone Company. Congressman
Sidney r. Mudd of Maryland presented
the bill, and requested that it be imne-
diately referred to the proper authorities.
in order that the company be incorporated
as soon as possible similar bill was
introduced in the last session of Congress.
and it failed to pass. and it is question
with many people whether or not the Com
missioners will take steps against this
one 1t is claimed that the District au-
thorities favor the existence of one COM
pany in the District and they will not
allow another to be Incorporated if pos
sible. 1t is also claimed that the Bell
Company, which is known the Ches-
apeake and Potomac Company, in this
city will bring great influence to bear on
the Commissioners. and that they will
not render a favorable report on the mat
ter.
Mr.. Ross was asked today if the
Commissioners would report adversely on
the measure when il was placed before
them He said that he did not consider
it proper to discuss the matter before 1t
had come before the board and had been
disposed of by them officially. The ques-
tion of incorporating telephone companies
has been raised several times, and has
been reported to Congress adversely, he
said. He was asked whether or not the
Commissioners favored the introduction of
a new company, or whether they would
oppose it,
The Commissioner again replied that he
did rot think it proper TO discuss official
business before il had been acted upon. Ii
was learned that the bill which was intro
duced Thursday has rot bseen sent TO the
District Building as yet, ard therefore the
Commissioners have not been officially
Notified OF its existence. NJ. Ross directed
attention to the reports that had been
made on the previous bills which had been
introduced, and stated that this was all he
was able TO say regarding the petition OF
the municipal triumvitrate toward the
matter.
The former reports OF the Commissioners
state that the public convenience in the
matter of telephone service requires that
each owner or lessee of telephone should
be able 10 communicate with every other
owner or lessee OF a telephone in the Dis
trict This indispensable condition of
perfect telephone service the report
states, creates monopoly by making it
impracticable for but one telephone COM
pany TO occupy the streets There is al
ready one company in the field, and the
Commissioners do not think that public in
terests would be promOt ID by granting per-
mission 10 another company TO tear up the
streets, and unnecessarily increase the
number of wires thereon.
III Congress deems it necessary to have
O. more extended and efficient service of a
more economical one than the existing
company furnishes. the Commissioners be-
Iieye that can better be accomplished by
regulating the conditions under which the
company shall operate than by chartering
another COMPANY
A report of the superintendent of tele-
graph and telephone service is enclosed
with the report. Ii states that all teie
phone and telegraph companies should be
required by law to set apart and maintain
underground conduits and to place at the
disposal of the District Government such
number of ducts as the Commissioners see
fit to direct
This action Of the Commissioners was
taken in the case of the Home Telephone
Company. which proposed to establish a
branch in this city. Before applying for
the charter this company placed contracts
with a number of people for the introduce
ton of the phone to their house and were
compelled to cancel these on account Of
the adverse action of the Commissioners.
There is said 10 be large class of persons
in this city who would subscribe to n tele-
phone system were the rates placed within
their means. Congress arranged system
Of economical rates for the existing COM
pany, but the persons interested in the
service have been fighting the law in court
and decision has not yet been rendered.
The new company proposes to give much
nore reasonable rates and its prospectus
contains the names of some of the most
prominent business and professional men
in the city. An effort is 10 be made this