Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
Prof Parsons Evidence Before the
Industrial Commission.
COULD BE GREATLY REDUCED
Lower Cost for Better Service in
Other Countries.
M U UNICIPAL OWNERSHIP

Prof Frank Parsons Of Boston, president
of the National League for Promoting the
Public Ownership of Monopoltes, was today
before the industrial commission, and,
among other things talked of the telephone
service of the country generally. He refer
red specifically to the telephone service in
the District of Columbia and declared that
a rate of $50 or $35 year for an unlimfted
service with only one phone on a line would
be sufficient compensation for a telephone
con pany in the District of Columbia.
Prof. Parsons said that when the French
government took the telephone service OF
that country under its control the rate was
reduced from SIG to $7S In Paris and to
$50 outside Of Paris. He said he took occa-
sion to get information concerning tele-
phone rates in the District of Columbia last
evening and found that service for
residence was: Unlimited service, s4S for
four line, and $;}G measured service;
also, for business houses, $120 unlimited
service with one phone on a line.
Wages of Girls.
Wages for gir.s who operate telephones in
this country are little, if any, larger than In
other countries.
These girls he said, receive abomin-
ably low wages"
unlimited service is given for s16 for resi-
dences and So for business places.
"The Department OF the Interior" he said.
''in 1894 paying a total of $40 a year
for telephones, and they asked the Bell
Telephone Company to reduce the rate
This was not done. and the department put
in its own service, and l have the figures
from the department showing the cost per
year to be S643 for operation and $10.40
total cost, which includes the interest on
this government telephone service
A Municipal System.
In Trondhjem, Sweden. a city of 10000
people, they have municipal telephone
system with a rate of SIG year for bus
mess and IS for residences, and they make
a fair profit on their investment. The wages
there are slightly lower than in the United
States. In Grand Rapids. Wis, there is a
cooperative telephone which operates on
the same principle as public telephone
They have there 800 lines, and the average
cost for conStruct tlon is S42. Inc rate
charged subscribers Is 81 a month for resi-
dences and $225 for business purposes per
month. Each subscriber Is urged to take
share Of the stock and three-fourtns OF
them do own stock They get on this $50
! share of stock dividend Of ~ per cent per
month, amounting to 70 cents for each
share SO that for residences with the so
invested the subscriber pays but 70 cents
month
This dividend also makes the actual cost
of the business telephone $1.5O month to
the subscriber.
"They are continually reducing their
rates." he said, land they have a surplus
for Improvement after paying dividend"
Long-Distance Charges.
Speaking of long distance telephones, he
said Philadelphia is 1877 miles from this
city, and the charge is 1.25 for the use of
| the phone for five minutes during the day
time. In England the rate would be, ac-
cording to their system Of fixing tolls, 4S
cents, and in France 80 cents. In both Eng
land and France the telephone Is owned
by the government. The comparison of
very large number of rates in this country
for the long-distance telephone service
showed, Prof. Parsons said, that In Eng
land the rates are from one-half to one
| third what they are in this country, and
| in France they are but from one-fourth
| to one-sixth the charge that is made here.
| The service in England and France he
| regarded as superior to that in this coun-
| try He was satisfied that the rates on
| telephones in this city for an unlimited
=, service and with one telephone on line
| could be operated at a profit for business
| houses and residences at from $50 to $io
| a year.
Prof Parsons also said that electric
| light rates in this country could be reduced
| from one-half to one-third what they are
| at present