Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-13
THE TELEPHONE COMPROMISE,
Objections Are Raised to It on Behalf
Of the People.
To the Editor of The Evening Star

10 the Editor OF The Evening Star.
have yet to meet citizen who has not
denounced with bitterness the ARRANGEMENT
by which the telephone company's extor-
tfon In consideration of the sum Of $4,000
paid to certain attorneys, is to become per-
petual Who has authority to compromise
with extortion? If the new rate proposed
by the telephone company is only fair and
just one to the company, then it were gross
iy immoral to favor $50 rate. II the $50
rate is a just rate then 1t is grossly immoral
and unjust to the public to favor higher
rate The immortality and injustice Of ia
more unconscionable when the higher rate
Is favored for a consideration.
Al this point conscience becomes COM
modify. What must the thousands who
want telephones put in their houses and
places of business, and who have waited
long years with patience for the courts to
/ compel the telephone company to obey the
act Of Congress, think Of this deal between
the lawyers Of the contending factions?
ers' Association do not represent one-third
of the telephone users Of this District. They
do not represent any Of that large class that
has waited SO long for reasonable tele-
phone rate before putting in phone.
r. In the building where ! have my law
Office number of offices have phones at the
rate Of $36 year. four on wire. When
this morning l asked the agent for the COM
pany to put me in $50 phone. he answered
that they did not have any more phones at
that price; that their lowest rate was $45
per year, and that the company was making
no more contracts at $50 per year. I wish
to inquire of my learned brother lawyers,
Birney, Woodward and Hemphjl1 whether
their long and profitable battle in the courts
is responsible for this increase to the sub
scriber. Or Is this increase method
adopted by the telephone company to raise
the forthcoming ten thousand? On March
II, 1901, the attorneys for the subscribers
association speaking to the Court Of APP
peals, used the following language:
1T is affirmatively established by the evil
dence that these rates Ghe rates that the
telephone company and the attorneys have
agreed should be repealed) are much in ex-
cess Of what is necessary to the payment Of
all expenses of maintaining and operating
the plant and the return of fair or even
large dividends upon the value of the prop
erty to those who hold it's bonds and
stocks" In the brief Of the attorneys for the
subscribers association there are exhaus-
tive tables and exhausting arguments based
upon the eleven hundred pages of the print
ed record showing that the rates prescribed
by Congress are eminently fair and much
higher than the rates that telephone COM
panies have voluntarily established in other
cities like In size and conditions to the city
of Washington. In Detroit any person may
have modern. up-to-date telephone service
for $24 per year, and the company Ia making
money. In small towns in Pennsylvania and
Indiana and other states the rates are as
low as $12 per year. The fight for the en-
forcement of the law of 1898 should go on
along the same lines IF 1t takes all sum-
mer" Some citizen who has lead in the
fight should call mass meeting and or
ganize a fight before Congress against the
repeal of the act Of 1898. and In the courts
for the enforcement of the law. Instead of
subscribing for a telephone will cheerfully
contribute the cost of phone toward push
ing another injunction suit to require the
telephone monopoly to comply with the law;
I would like to examine the credentials Of
any man or set of men who claim the right
to agree with the telephone company as to
what rate they should charge the people OF,
this District for q telephone service. I
would like to know by what right eoterie 1
of lawyers can effect an arrangement with
a foreign corporation. spawned in New
York, by which the alien monopoly can pur-
sue its career of extorti0n In the District OF
Columbia unremarked and unmalested. i
CRANDAL MACKAY. Il