Evening star., 1900-05-23
CONCLUSIVE FACTS
Opposition to the Pending Telephone
Bill Confounded.
STRONG TESTIMONY BEFORE SENATORS
Mr.. WeIIington's Objection to the
Measure Explained.
VIEWS OF PROMINENT MEN

Mr.. Jere Wilson says you can't do IT Tor
that price Such was Senator Mcmillan S
remark in the room of the Senate commit
tee on the District Of Columbia yesterday
to the representatives of the Washington
Telephone Company, who, accompanied by
the representatives of the most important
business and financial interests of Balti-
more. were present to refute certain state
ments made by Senator Wellington of
Maryland before the Senate District COM
mittee last Friday. The senior senator
from Maryland on that occasion had de-
cared on his own personal knowledge"
that the Maryland Telephone Company,
whose owners are the same capitalists who
are seeking charter here. did not have a
telephone plant in Baltimore. Senators Nc
MILAN. Martin and Sullivan were present
yesterday. Senator Wellington being sent
for, but declining to attend.
A Powerful Representation.
The gentlemen from Baltimore were
Messrs. George R. Webb. president of the
Maryland Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany; Roszel A. Cathcart, president of the
American Fire Insurance Company, presi-
dent of the Baltimore fire board and a
member of the Baltimore subway COM
mission; w. J. Donnelly of Maury & Dom
nelly. insurance agents and brokers; j. w.
Middendorf of Mddendorf, Oliver 4 Com
pany, bankers; ]. l.. Blake, president the
Guardian Trust and Deposit Company
Henry j. Bowdoin. vice president Mary
land Trust Company; II. A. Parr of l. NJ.
Parr & Son, grain merchants; Charles H.
Jones of Sperry, Jones & Company, bank
ers; j. b. Ramsay, president National Me-
chanics' Bank. Geo Blackstone. president
of the Union Trust Company; Arthur II.
Jackson of Henkelman-Jackson Company;
Frank Furst; j. L. Blackwell of ]. L..
Blackwell & Company; Gen: Lawrason
Riggs, lawyer; J. c. Legg of ]. c. Legg &
Oler. president, Citizens National Bank;
Frank s. Hamb!eton of Hamb' eton & Com
rany. bankers; Charles T. Crane president
FARMERS and Merchants National Bank.
and James Bond, president American
Bonding and Trust Company.
The testimony of these gentlemen as to
the financial ability of the Washington Tel
ephone Company to carry out the proVls-
icns of the pending bill in every particular
was as overwhelming as their evidence i'll
refutation of Senator Wellington's remark
able assertion
When all this authoritative mass of evil
dence was submitted Senator Mcmillan ex-
pressed himself satisfied with the standing
of the company. but added the statement
that Mr.. Jere Wilson, who is Mr.. Jere-
mah NJ. Wilson. president of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company.
which has enjoyed a monopoly of the tele-
phone field in the District and charged ex-
tCrtionate prices for services regarded by
scores of its subscribers unsatisfactory,
had expressed the opinion with which this
article begins.
Senator WeIlingtOn's Opposition.
A concensus of the statements made to
the senators mentioned is given below, but
parenthetically review of Senator Well
irgton's opposition will be timely before
hand.
After the bill of the Washington Tele-
phone Company had been approved by the
District Commissioners last February, Mr..
Henry A. Parr addressed letters to the rep
reSentatives and senators in Congress, ask
ing them to look into the bill, and. if in
their Judgment they could do so, aid in its
passage. He also stated that the bill had
merit as was shown from the fact that the
District committee had unanimously APP
proved it. Mr. Wellington replied to the
effect that he would oppose the bill the
grounds that an enemy of his was in favor
OF ii. and stated that Senator McComas :
mad introduced it he would fight it.
In pursuance of this object the following
from the Baltimore American of today will
be interesting:
Next Saturday has been set aside by the
Senate for the sole consideration of District
bills and ii hoped that the Baltimore
ans bill might be acted on in committee in
time to include it among the bills to be
passed next Saturday. When the Ralti-
more capitalists arrived here today they
found that Mr.. Wellington had blocked the
bill completely. A meeting of the commit
tee had been called for last Friday. Mr..
Wellington was member of the commit
tee selected to go to New York at Thurs
day midnight to escort the Boer delegates
to Washington. Just as he was on his way
to the train Mr.. Wellington suddenly re-
called the District committee was to meet
the next morning. He returned to his
hotel. The next morning he walked into
about to be taken the telephone bill.
He entered a vigorous protest, with the re-
suit that the bill was laid over. Today he
learned that the Baltmoreans would be
here to appear before the District commit
tee if it could be called in special session.
He entered his protest to Chairman Nc
MILAN against special meeting. with the
result that when Senator McComas led the
Baltimore delegation into the committee
room only Messrs. Mcmillan. Martin ana
Sullivan were there to receive them.
This bill was introduced in the Senate by
Mr.. McComas. but Senator WELLINGTON s
influence in the Senate committee is too
strong to leave hope for action in the Sem
ate He does not base his opposition to the
measure solely on his antagonism to Mr..
Warfield, but claims that the bill is not
drawn with sufficient care to protect the
people of Washington"
Introduced by Senator McComas.
Senator McComas. who introduced the
sible to get a more representative body of
business men in any city than were then
present The gentlemen present represent
ed, he said. the largest financial interests
in the city of Baltimore and were amply
able to carry out the provisions of the bill
now pending before the committee. He
further stated that from his personal
knowledge that the service of the Mary
land Telephone Company was equal in all
respects to that of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company. In his
visits to Baltimore he had frequently used
both phones and found the service of the
Maryland Telephone Company eminently
satisfactory in every way.
Photographs and Letters.
Mr. George r. Webb submitted to the
members of the committee present photo
graphs of the building constructed in Bal
timore. as well as letters from various
trust companies, banks and other infiuen-
tial institutions and men. showing the work
that had been done in Baltimore as well
as the work done in Pittsburg. A letter
was also submitted from Messrs. Booth &