Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-28
UP TO JUDGE WILCOX.
Wr. Wales and the Committee
Confirm Their Report. {.
Mr.. r.. Horny Jones Says Judge Wilcox, in
His Zeal to Servo tho BELL Company,
Has Run Into Fog Bank-Talks With
tho Committee.

Former Judge Thos. H. Wilcox. rep
resenting the Southern Bell Telephone
and Telegraph Company. said before
the Telephone Committee OF the City
Councils, on Tuesday evening, that the
Committee of the Board of Trade.
which reported to the Councils the re-
suits of it's investigation, did not, in its
report. favor putting a maximum rate
in the Bell franchise. Here is the lam
guage of that report:
1T is also suggested that. as tel
ephone companies are granted large
privileges by our city Legislature. that
all companies doing business in the
city should be placed under the same
restrictions identically, AND MANI
MUM CHARGES MADE TO CON
FORM"
reporter of the Virginian-P Pilot
called on all the members of the COM
mittee who had signed that report, eX-
cept Mr.. c. w. Priddy. who was absent
from the city, as follows:
COL. HARRY HODGES.
Col. Harry Hodges smiled as the re-
porter told the object of his visit and
said in substance: Lawyers can twist
things to suit themselves. lie said the
report of the committee means precise
ly what it says in plain English. Judge
Wilcox is mistaken in saying that the
committee did not recommend putting
maximum rate in the Bell franchise.
The committee intended to say that the
telephone companies should conform to
maximum rate.
MIR. r. HENRY JONES.
Mr.. r. Henry Jones said that Judge
Wilcox. in his zeal to serve the Bell
company, has run into n fog bank. The
n n &c 70 I,nr lr o,tt
Continuing Mr.. Jones said that all of
the members of the committee favored
n maximum rate for the telephone
companies. The maximum rate now is
sSS. which he favors. One of the COM
mittee suggested rate of $40 and an
other favored a rate of $50.
MR.. D. ]. CALLAHAN.
Mr.. D. j. Callahan said that the re-
port of the committee expresses his
idea precisely. He has not opened his
mouth to Judge Wilcox on the subject
The report of the committee is in plain
terms and 1t means what it says. Mr..
Wales the chairman, will say so in en-
phatic terms.
MIR. w. H. WALES, JR.
Mr.. w. H. Wales. Jr.. chairman of
the committee. said the report is not
difficult to understand. 1t is written in
as plain English as it could he put.
but 1T was lntenued 10 DE very COnSerN-
alive. Moreover, Mr.. Wales said that
the community here understands pretty
we'll that he is man of his word. and
that 1t is not likely that he would write
a report calmly and carefully recon-
mending maximum rate and then re-
call that recommendation n short time
afterward in a conversation with
Judge Wilcox.
Mr.. Wales also is in favor of having
the City Councils fix a maximum rate
for all the telephone companies here.
Thus all the members of the COM
mittee agree as to the authenticity of
the report and none of them told Judge
Wilcox that the report does not mean
what they intended when 1t says that
all companies doing business in the
city should be placed under the same
restrictions identically. and maximum
charges made to conform
MANY BUSINESS MEN INTER-
VIEWED.
DESTROYS of obtaining n free and full
discussion of the telephone question,
the Virginian-P Pilots representatives
have called on prominent citizens and
business men, regardless of their views
on, the subject. We fully expected that
the Southern Bells position would be
upheld in some of the interviews.
Twenty-four of those seen have, for
reasons of their own. declined to be
quoted or have their names mentioned
in connection with the matter.
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