Evening star., 1900-02-21
TELEPHONE RATES
Two Bills Introduced in the House by
Mr.. Mudd.
4 SUBCOMMITTEE TO CONSIDER Them
What Chairman Babcock Says
Upon the Subject.
WILLING TO GIVE RELIEF

The House committee on the District of
Columbia today entered upon the considera-
tian of the subject of lowering the tele-
phone rates in this city A subcommitt &c.
consisting of Chairman Babcock, MIR.
Pearre of Maryland and Mr.. Cowherd Of
Missouri. was appointed to take charge Of
the matter.
1.-The object of the subcommittee" said
Chairman Babcock to a Star reporter, after
the meeting at which it was appointed, sis
to perfect a bill to protect the rights of the
people of this District in any charter which
might be granted to a competing telephone
company. The bill must be a bona lide
measure containing restrictions which will
compel the company to render the service
at the prices stipulated ard to prevent the
company selling out to the existing
poration.
THE sentiment of the District committee
is entirely favorable to granting some
lief from the existing situation as to tcle-
phone rates. If the people of the city can
get together upon tangible proposition for
relief the committee stands ready to help.
But If the citizens are coming before the
committee to wrangle over who shall re-
ceive the franchise that is another matter.
The people ought to get together and conc
before the committee with proposition
upon which they have united.
Just as soon proposition for a COM
peting line, backed by representative busi-
ness men and not opposed by some faction
of citizens. is brought before us We are
ready to act
Chairman Babcock said that the commit
tee had been faEorably impressed with the
offer made last week by a proposed COM
peting company. 1t was shown that the
men interested in the project We're also
members of companies doing business in
Baltimore. Phtsburg and other cities, and
that it was proposed to connect Washing
ton with long distance service with other
points He said that there were defects in
the bill then presented, however, one being
that it was Incorporated under the laws of
New Jersey. At that meeting of the COM
n1ittee he had suggested that the company
should be incorporated locally, and that re-
sponsible business men of Washington
shbuld take part in the enterprise. He had
not meant to convey that company COM
posed entirely of local investors should un-
dertake the work.
The Amended Bill.
The amended bill to meet the objections
scented this morning to Chairman Babcock
1t is entitled an act to incorporate the
Washington Telephone Company. 1t
names as incorporators Samuel Ross, Thos
W. Smith, Frank B. Noyes, Edgar P. Berry
and Richard A. Johnson of the District of
Hayward, James Bond, George R. Webb,
J. Bernard Scott and Harry w. Webb of
Baltimore.
The bill authorized the District Commits
sioners to permit the Washington Tele-
phone Company to install and operate a
telephone plant and exchanges under rules
to be made by the Commissioners. The
company shall lay all necessary under
ground conduits and string wires poles
in alleys subject to the same regulations
as now apply or may be prescribed for
telephone companies. The conduits shall
be planned and constructed so as to form
a part of general subway system, which
may hereafter be constructed and the plans
for which the Commissioners are authorized
to prepare. Any corporation having under
ground ducts in the District Of Columbia
not in use may lease them to any other
corporation or individual desiring to put
its wires underground.
The rates to be charged by the company
shall not at any time be more than $3G
per year for the use of a telephone in
private residence, nor more than s4S for
the use of telephone for business pur-
poses. The telephone shall be of good quail
fty and on metallic circuits only.
The company shall file with the Commits
Sioners plans for system of subways and
shall have telephone exchange with not
less than ], 900 telephones in actual opera
ton within fourteen months from the ap-
proval by the Commissioners of it's sys-
tenn The company shall give bond in the
sum of 100000 conditioned for the per-
formance of all the provisions of this act
necessary to the operation of the telephone
exchange of at least 1,5o0 subscribers within
the time limited, ana upon the lallure TO
furnish the bond within fifteen days the
franchise hereby granted shall cease
The bill provides regulations for meet
ings of stockholders, election of a board
of directors, etc.
The capital stock of the company shall
be S50O,0OO. and the company shall have
power to issue bonds in an amount equal
to the capital stock outstanding at any
time. The amount of the capital stock
may be increased in the discretion of the
stockholders for the purpose of improv-
ing or extending its plant or for the pur
pose of connecting with other telephone
companies outside the District.
There shall be reserved in the conduits
one duct for the free use of the District of
Columbia, for the wires of the fire alarm
and police patrol system.
If, after the passage of this act, the in
corporators herein named shall sell the
charter or franchise herein granted, all the
rights and privileges herein given shall be
forfeited. Should the property, rights and
franchise of the company be at any time
hereafter acquired by any other corpora
ton or person, such purchaser shall take
said property subject to all the restrictions
liabilities and penalties of this act and by
the acquisition of the property the pur-
chasers shall thereby subject to the labil-
tiles, penalties and restrictions of this act
any other telephone plant properties
then hereafter owned or operated by
said purchasers Congress reserves the
right to alter, amend or repeal this act
Another Company Applies.
Mr.. o. G. Staples appeared before the
committee today and submitted bill to
| incorporate the Columbia Telephone Com
pany. This bill, 1t may be stated, embodies
the project which was voted down at the
| recent meeting Of the Telephone subscrib-
| ers' Association, the organization which is
conducting the fight for lower rates.
The bill provides that John D. Lang
| horne Orren G. Staples. John W. ThomD-
son. B. H. Warner. Henry F. Woodard,
DR.. John Swope Arthur A. Birney, George
| A. Hamilton. Thomas Anderson, john
| Cammack, John A. Baker, Tallmadge A.
Lambert, T. Gushing Daniel, ]. E. Keelyn.
w. G. Waggaman. w. S. Knox. j. A Blum
| don and Thomas Armat be incorporated nm
der the name of the Columbia Telephone
| Company, which shall be authorized to
\ maintain an underground electric teIephone
system. The company shall within ninety
days. file with the Commissioners a plan of
\ the system of conduits. The company shall
make all needful and convenient trenches
| and excavations, erect buildings and as
may be necessary for the operation of this
| s. stem.
The company shall commence the con-
[ StructtQp of the underground electrical tot