Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-14
WHY THEFIGHT CEASED
AN EXPLANATION OF THE TELE-
PHONE COMPROMISE.
President Staples Of the Subscribers
Association Complains Of Lack
of Public Support.

: Mr.. o. G. Staples, president Of the Teie-
plone Subscribers Association, has writ
ten the following letter to Mr.. Crandail
Mackey in answer to the latter's criticism
of the association for compromising the
fight with the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company, printed in yesterdays
Star:
IT notice In The Star Of last evening your
criticism on the adjustment that the Tele-
phone Subscribers Association has made
with the telephone company. Now, permit
me to say If we had had all men in that
association like you, or % per cent, we
would have had this law that Is already on
the statute books enforced, and would have
had our telephones at statutory rates. But.
unfortunately, out of this great city or
Washington there are very few public
spirited men who are willing to take hold
and help fight monopoly. When the law
was passed the bill was crude and was In
troduced in the House by Mr.. Powers, sup
posing 1t would be referred to a subcom-
mlttee and there be amended or altered to
be fair and equitable. providing for a pen
atty in case it was not obeyed; but instead
of that it was passed with hardly any dis
senting votes and became law. The next
step was to enforce it. 1t seemed to me
all the time that the United States attorney
was the man to enforce the law, but, I'M
fortunately, it was left to the citizens, a.
Subscribers Associa ton. After taking tes-
timony in various cities throughout the
United States and eXpending large sums OF
money we were beaten in the District
court, Judge Barnard deciding against US,
and the law was declared unconstitutional,
as you know, for the reason that the rates
were so low that 1t amounted to a confisca-
ton, the telephone company claimed. We
then carried it to the Court of Appeals of
the District and the law was declared con-
stitutional and must be obeyed.
The telephone company then appealed it
to the Supreme Court of the United States,
seven judges on the bench, three of whom
were for US, and four against us, the latter
saying that the law did not define what sort
OF service they were to render for the re-
muneration mentioned, and 1t was sent
back for more definite definition of the
law, or what service was to be rendered
and claim such service was in existence
at the time of the passage of the act.
The Associations Difficulties.
Il have called meeting after meeting and
have appealed to the citizens to help pay
the expenses. We have something like
$1,000 or $500 that has already been sub
scribed, year or two ago, and we cannot
collect 1t; we have even employed a col
lector. We have spent now nearly $11 600
besides great many things that have been
done without charge. l gave Willard Hall
for mass meeting two three times, CIV
Ing collation., without any remuneration
whatever. Had we had the support and
help of the citizens to raise few thousand
dollars 1 believe we could have sustained
and carried out the provisions of the law.
On the morning of Monday last, before we
entered into any agreement with the tele-
phone people, 1 called meeting at the
Riggs House, and only seven or eight peo-
pie attended. three of them being at
torneys, and we were confronted with the
fact that we had but $500 in the treasury
and our attorneys demanded $1,000 before
going on. What were we to do! 1t does
rot seem to me that it was fair and equita-
BILE that two or three individuals should
pay the entire expenses Of the city, and
for measure that would benefit all the
people. The government owes the tele-
phone people, should this law become null
and void, something like $4,000 or $780, 900.
Should this law be enforced it would be
saving to the citinZens of Washington of at
least 100000 or 100000 year, and yet the
citizens will not come forward and help
sustain it. Under the circumstances, we
have got the best settlement we could.
Now, there is the matter In nut shell.
I am ready and willing to do anything the
people want and want the people to come
forward and do something, and not leave it
all to one or two people"