The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-05


| Dec l. 1890. ........ SOP 3,OiS Id
The New Exchanges.
"Mr. Ross. in his letter. also says that
the contemplated plant of the Washing
ton Telephone Company will have an i'm
mediate capacity for 5000 telephones,
nearly twice the number Of the present
Chesapeake and Potomac plant As will
appear from the above table. this state
! ment is also erroneous. The Chesapeake
| and Potomac Telephone Company now has
| in operation in the District of Columbia
more than $500 exchange telephones. in
| addition to which it has in use upon its
! private lines more than 800 telephones
total of over 1850. OF the exchanges in
anticipation of the opening Of which the
mileage charges were removed in the ex-
| change districts above mentioned, the ex-
| change on Capitol Hill, known as the
! East exchange, has been opened, at a
| total cost to the company Of about $4,000
and is now in operation. The building and
| equipment for the exchange to be located
| in Georgetown to be known as the West
exchange, and which cost about $4,000,
has been completed and purchased, and
! the switchboard and power plant are now
| in process of Installation. It Is expected
that this exchange Will be opened shortly;
| and q site has been selected for the ex-
/ change soon to be built in the northwest
/ ern section OF the city, near Fifteenth and
Streets The total capacity of the COM
pany's exchanges in Washington, when
| the Georgetown Office is opened, will be at
least 5000 in excess of the number stated
in the letter of Mr.. Ross.
With regard to the statement in Mr..
Ross letter that the Washington Tele-
phone Company offers rates of s4S for
| business and $50 for residence telephones,
with one party on line, full metallic
circuit and unlimited calls ! have to
say that nothing so far has been shown
by the promoters OF the Washington Tel
ephone Company, either before the com
mittees of Congress or elsewhere. that II
Will be possible to furnish service OF the
character described at such rates. The
bill for the incorporation of the Wash
ington Telephone Company now pending
in the Senate, provides for the issue OF
$3.50 900 in stock and $3.50 600 in
bonds. The interest upon the bonds, at
the lowest calculation. would be per
cent per annum, or S37 500. A moderate
dividend upon the stock would be per
cent per annum. or $50 600. Three thou
sand telephones (the number for which
Mr.. Ross says the Washington Company
has received eontracts) would yield an
income Of $4,000 per annum, calculated
in the proportion of two-thirds business
telephones at siS and one-third residence
telephones at s36 per annum, this being
the proportion stated by Mr.. Webb, the
general manager of the Washington Com
pany, in his address before the Senate
Committee on the District OF Columbia at
the last session of Congress Deducting
int nd
$4,000 would remain to maintain and OPP
crate the Washington Company's plant.
A Large Pay Roll.
ITO illustrate the inadeQuacy of such an
amount to run a plant of 5000 telephones,
/ might mention that the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company is compelled
TO pay in salaries and wages alone to it's
Washington employees in each year more
than $4,000. and that these salaries and
wages are the lowest at which competent
employees can be obtained. II the Wash
ington Company employs a force equal in
efficiency to that of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Company, the payment OF its sal
aries alone would create a deficiency of
over $4,000 per annum, and | have not
taken into account the additional fixed ex-
peuses for rent, light, heat. taxes. sinking
fund. legal. etc, and the expenses of pur-
chasing the immense amount of material
required to maintain and operate the plant.
team hire, pole and roof rentals, printing
and stationery, advertising. etc.
And I may further call attention to the
fact that in stating that the Washington
Telephone Company proposes to furnish
full metallic circuits Mr. Ross does not
say what kind Of metallic circuits he pro-
poses to furnish-that is, whether OF Iron
wire which would cost In the neighbor-
hood Of S. per mile, or copper wire of the
kind used by the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company, which costs over $50
per mile. or whether he proposes to use
what is known as a common return wire,
which means that a single wire is used as
a return conductor for two or more sub
scribers' lines. And he does not appear |
10 take into consideration the fact that IL |
unlimited service is furnished at all OF |
the 5000 telephones. at least one-fourth |
more operators. at salaries varying from |
$3.50 to $500 per year, would be required |
to operate the switchboards than are re- |
quired to operate those of the Chesapeake |
and Potomac Company under existing con- |
ditions-this for tine reason that while one
operator can take care of 200 subscribers |
lines upon the measured service basis one |
operator cannot take care of more than |
ninety or hundred lines having unlimited |
use |
II assert, without fear of successful con- |
tradiction, that the Chesapeake and Po- |
tomac Telephone Company is not employ |
ing too many operators, too many line |
men, too many inspectors, too many |
clerks or too many employees of any other |
class, and / also assert. without fear of |
successful contradiction, that 1t does not !
pay excessive wages nor has 1t any more
officers than necessary; nor does 1t pay |
extrayagant salaries. 1t is prepcsterous