Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-03
LOCAL PHONE RATES
District Bill Amended by the
House.
INDIGNAN M EN- BERS
RELATED THEIR EXPERIENCE
WITH THE WASHINGTON CO.
It is Provided That No More Than $50
Year Shall Be Charged
for Dwellings,.
MEMBERS


After The Stars report of the House
proceedings closed yesterday the amend
ment to the District appropriation bill pro-
hiding for the paving of Pennsylvania
avenue extended southeast was defeated.
An amendment adopted appropriate
fng $500 for sidewalks and curb around
Lincoln Park.
point of order was made against the
item for the repair of the Anacostia bridge
and the item went out of the bill. Mr.
McCleary stated that later he would offer
q substitute.
Payment for Telephones.
Then the paragraph relating to telephone
service was reached, and Mr.. Bartlett Of
fered the following amendment:
provided, however, That no part of the
money herein appropriated shall be used
for the payment to any person or tele-
phone company doing business in the Dis
trict of Columbia for the hire of or use of
any telephone or for any telephone service
except at the following rates: Fifty dollars
per annum for the use of a telephone on
q single wire; $40 for each telephone, there
being not more than two a wire; $50
per annum for each telephone. there being
not more than three a wire; SO for
each telephone there being four more
on the same wire. and contract shall
be made with any person or telephone COM
pany in excess of the charges herein speci-
fled"
The Local Rates.
''The telephone rates to private indvid-
uals are about $7S per annum for a limited
service explained Mr.. Bartlett. THAT
limited service permits you to send 200
local messages and no more, l see from
a contract that 1 have, and charges . cents
additional for every message over 1900.
Now l have here a memorandum of the
charges paid by the hotel where L board
the Riggs House. They pay there 1926
year for the mere privilege of having a
telephone put in the hotel and then the
hotel is charged cents a message for
1000 meSSag and after 1900 messages
that charge is 1 cents message; so that
it appears that in hotels the charges are
1925 per annum. In residences and offices of
individuals the company now charges SIS
year for the instrument with limited
service and extra for all messages over
certain number. l have had some little
experience with the company. L had
contract for a telephone in Office which
have in the Bond building, and they
charge me SIS year for the service,
charging me . cents extra for every mes
sage sent from the office exceeding three
per day, as | understand it."
Mr.. Hepburn said: Mr.. Chairman, If the
gentleman will permit me, can state that
! paid 81 per year for a phone in a resi-
dence. for the same kind of service that l
get at home for $24 and that l have the
privilege of a rebate of $l2, provided l do
not use the phone for period of three
months. But # 1 only use 1t three months,
/ have got to pay ST. less $12. i think there
is an extortion about it that is most
;warrantable and that ought in some way
other 10 receive the condemnation of this
Congress. We ought not to be pillaged in
the way that We are by these gentlemen"
The Law Passed in $685.
Mr. Bartlett said: Congress had in 1885,
on the District appropriation bill, passed
law substantially almost in the words
which l have copied into this amendment.
The act of June 30 1898 provided what the
charges for telephone service in the Dis
trict of Columbia should be, not only with
reference to the services rendered to the
government and the departments in the Dis
trict of Columbia, but what they should
charge to the citizens of the District of
Columbia. Now, have not undertaken to
remedy the evil caused by the eXtortionate
ard exorbitant charges that are made upon
the citizens of this District because l
would be met with point of order, at
least, that 1t was legislation.
IF L could. would on any appropriation
bill in the House offer amendment that
would take from the threats of the people
OF this city, the capital city of the
greatest nation on the face of the earth,
the clutches of this monstrous. exorbi-
tant and extortionate monopoly; but even
now the gentleman raises the point OF
order when you undertake to protect the
government from eXtortion.
Mr.. Chairman, II is remarkable how this
company acts in order that the government
may seem satisfied and that it may get the
money of the government. 1t complies
with the act of 1898 so far as the govern
ment Is concerned. and charges the govern
ment the tolls and the rates that the gov
eminent fixed in the act of 1898, an act
which the company had attacked in the
court as unconstitutional and void: but
when ii gets beyond the restraining power
OF the governments hands 1t outrages and
fobs the people of this District
Two Remedies
Mr.. Lacey of Iowa said: Now there is a
very simple way of getting at this-two
ways One is to repeal their franchise, and
another is to grant franchise to rival
company. This franchise is subject to be
amended and repealed at any time by Con-
gress. Why not bring in bill repeating
this franchise for that company which, for
the last six or seven years. has not only
given the worst service that has ever been
given in any city in the United States, but
is charging these extortionate prices in de-
flance of the acts OF Congress? Why not
bring in bill repeating their charter?''
Modified Amendment Adopted.
Mr.. Hepburn offered addition to the
Amendment. as follows: Provided. that the
above rates and no more may be charged by
the telephone companies doing business in
the District of Columbia to their patrons
receiving service in private residences. and
any violation of the above provision is here
by declared to work forfeiture of all
rights to conduct telephone business in
the District of Columbia"
AS then modified. Mr.. Bartletts amend
nent was unanimously adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Cowherd, the number of
sanitary food inspectors was reduced from
thirteen to six. Further consideration OF
the bill was then postponed until today.
Two Banks Suspend.