The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-18

? Troubles of the telephone subscribers Al
: not lessening with time. and the memhei
of the Association Of Telephone SubscI ibel
, have determined TO tight the company unit
1t gives them what they want. They haV
already spent several Thousand dollars i
upholding the law passed by Congress, an
say that they are ready to fight to the enc
There are at the present moment tw
telephone companies clamoring for tn
right to come into this city in competitic
with the Chesapeake and Potomac Com
pany. and Congress viii be urged to gran
them this right. One of these companie
viii deposit guarantee OF 100000 to fur
nish satisfactory service of the bighes
quality at from s36 10 s4s year. If thi
can be done. the subscribers would like (,
be informed why il is that the presen
| company claims that it would lose money /
! compelled TO lower its rates.
! There arc various objections TO Their,
| being more than one company in this city
some saying that such a condition would
result in every man having TO have more
than one telephone in his service, and il
there we're two companies. and the rate
was cut in half. the advantage would be
| lost. In the event of there being more
than two companies. the result would be
| even worse than the present status The
| other objection is the tearing up OF the
streets for the laying of tn. conduits for
the wires, but this feature, however dis
agreeable, cannot well be obviated. Ii
would tend for the bettermeut of the whole
mar and u.
temporarily. In the city of Stockholm
where the telephone system has reached its
greatest perfecticL. the law compels the
two companies operating TO interchange for
the benefit Of subscribers and there is no
use Tor more than one instrument. only the
directories of the companies being neces-
sary. This plan is advocated In this city.
since ii works admirably in the former
place.
Al the last meeting OF the Association
oil Telephone Subscribers committee
consisting of the following gentlemen. was
appointed to carry out the wishes Of the
association in the matter of securing a
satisfactory adjustment OF the troubles.
o. G. Staples. A. A. Birney. Thomas W.
smith. George a. King. ]. J. HemphiII.
w. w Danenhower. John Miller V. Bald
win Johnson. DR.. II. l.. L. Johnston, and
t. Edward Clark. A subscription. taken
up TO place al the disposal OF the commit
tee for use in the prosecution OF the work
resulted in the addition to the treasury Of
a considerable sum. Those subscribing
ana the several sums. were as follows:
Mr.. John Miller. $50: Birney g. Woodland |
$50: George A. King. $50: W W. Danen- |
hover. s25: o. G. Staples. 800: Samuel c. |
Ross, Si00; Thomas W. Smith $50; Collins
a. Gaddis. $50; J. F. Maury a. Co. SIS;
Patrick Mann. s25; Hoge g. Bro. SIS; s. c.
Palmer. SIS; Tyler a. Rutherford. ss5; Y. |
Baldwin johnson. s25: Frank f. Hopkins |
20; NJ Dyrenforth, s25; Clark Bros. Lime |
and Cement Company. s2a; Allegheny Coal |
Company, s25: w. II. Tenney & Co. s2s; |
Conrad II. Syme, SOS: Henderson A. sons
SIS: n. II. Shea SIS: j. 7. Clements. se5; |
smoot McCauley a Co., $40: Ellworth
Simpson, $40; W. H. NicheIs. SIS: Thomas |
r. Riley s25: T. Z. Clark. SIS: r. J. Mar
shall. $40; W F. Hummer. $40: A :. Cay
wood. so: Holmes q Co.. tle: Psnnsyl- |
yania Horseless Carriage Company. limit
ed. s25.
Henry F. Woodland. the Secretary of |
the Subscribers Association. said yester-
day that the people had NO complaint
about what Congress had done for them.
but what it had intended to do and had
not done. In other words. it passed a
dill on June so. 1895. regulating telephone
rates in the District, and this bill has |
been the cause of contention ever since |
The telephone company refused 10 follow |
rs directions. and there has been cease
ess litigation between the company and |
he organized subscribers.
Congress has been appealed TO" said
dr. Woodland ito set the limit of the
ate possible TO charge for full telephone
erVice at ESQ year. Congress acceded |
o this seemingly fair request from the
nff ri tr.~ . A. i
efied the law. and the litigation that fol-
owed has never ceased.
Now want Congress to undo the |
nintentionai wrong and give n law that |
VII work. II lis hardly fair to pass laws |
nd then let those whom they ar. in |
ended to benefit have to pay heavily for
heir unfolding. The expressions and ex- | :
ctions of the Chesapeake and Potomac
telephone Company are matters of his |
DRY in this District
They consist OF excessive rates. which
he company has the bardihood TO init |
late they will increase, the Limitation |
the use of telephones to subscribers. [
nd very poor equipment In the de-
lsion rendered by Justice Barnard ] be-
eve that he was guided by u firm .on-
lcuon OF duty. but II defeated the inten-
ons Of Congress in the act of June 90 |
'ss. which was intended TO secure 10 us ! -
lie benefits of low rates, good service. | .
ID better equipment.
The pivotal point is that the act of | 1
ongress is stripped of its usefulness and 4
he people left in a worse dilemma than | -
the beginning. The Chesapeake and =,
otomac Telephone Company refused 10 :
,ey the act. defied Congress- and not
ily signified its intention of removing a
he phones OF subscribers, but in some
stances actually did so. The people
GOD loyal TO their benefactors They
sorted to the courts and up to the pres
IT have expended more than $1,000 TO :,
stain and maintain the act OF June 30 ! y
9S
They did not complain nj what Congress | y
d for them, but gracefully accepted the =.
sislation and spent their money 10 de- "
nd II. Their phones are now about to
taken away from them unless they nav |
e extortionate rates imposed by the u
lesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
ny.
Whether Congress owes the people al
is District duty Is answered by the
are suggestion. 1t is the duty of those
10 rule over us TO protect us from the
ranny and oppression OF j corporation
at uses the streets of the city yithnut |
arge. and that imposes upun us ex-
ssive rates. when at least two new com
nies are clamoring at the doors OF Con-
ass. begging the right 10 sell us service
the highest and best quality for SIS and
per year.
If Congress ever did owe us Il duty. it is
". We have spent or money and given
: time to carry into effect the will of the
sislature. and IL remains for Congress-
say whether We shall be forced TO coli
ue this costly litigation. Where is SEN
n Mcmillan and the members of the
iafe District =. 1
bcock and the members Of the House Il
Itrict Committee, Have they not pro- i