Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-10
Undue Haste in Telephone Legislation.

There seems to be undue desire In the
Senate for haste in passing House bin f.
$50 regulating the use of telephone wires
in the District of Columbia" The House
passed that measure May's8. under circum
stances which indicated clearly that if the
decision of the United States Supreme
Court rendered one week later. had been
then delivered, the bill would have been i'm
mediately recommtted with instructions to
add an amendment for effective rate re-
Guction. But not caring to delay further,
the friends of rate reduction-whO are ap-
parentIy in a majority in the ,House-con-
scented 10 the passage of the bill, realizing
that court decisions are proverb,ally uu-
certain as to time. and the measure
reached the Senate May 81. being at once
referred to the District committee. Two
days later. May 81. It was reported favor
ably to the Senate and placed on the cal
endar. Four days later. June .. the Su
preme Court rendered it's decision. emphat
ically pointing the way to a further enact
ment by Congress to clear up the doubts
caused by the legislation Of 1898. At once
a demand arose among the people of the
District for the amendment of the pending
bill. that being the most appropriate
hiCle for rate-reduction provision.
Such an amendment was drawn without
delay. the text being published in yester
days Star. 1t appears to be reasonable in
terms and specific in its description of the
character of the service required by Con-
gress for the rates provided. The logical
course of legislation under such circum-
stances. the situation having radically
changed since the House passed and the
Senate received the bill. would be for the
measure to be recommitted for the purpose
of considering it properly in its new light
with reference to the amendment offered by
Mr.. Hale. But according to the Record of
yesterdays proceedings. the senator in
charge of the bill. despite the changed case
and the offering of the amendment, sought
opportunity for the immediate considera-
ton Of the wire bill, and gave every indica-
ton Of a desire to secure its passa ge with
out reference to the rate question.
There is no real urgency in the passage of
the wire bill now. When it was pending in
the House it was stated, with truth, that
seven hundred citizens were waiting for tele-
phone connections. which could be secured
only through this legislation. giving the
telephone company the right to erect poles
In alleys. But it is entirely safe to assert
that not per cent, If any. of these people
would now ask Congress for the passage Of
the bill in the face of the courts decision
and of the opportunity to perfect the legis-
lation of 1895 The plea of urgency based
upon popular demand is no longer avail
able If the measure is rushed through it
will be at the behest OF the telephone COM
pany. ger, first. to secure the right to erect
alley poles, and thereby to gain seven hun
dred more subscribers at exorbitant rates;
second. to be required 10 lay down con-
duits. thereby Increasing it's vested rights"
claim as an argument against rate disturb
ance or interruption Of monopoly: third to
avoid the rate-reduction legislation through
this particular measure. SO appropriate to
such an enactment