Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-07
Comment on Move for Cheaper
Telephone Rates.
RIVAL LINE PROPOSED
B. n. WARMERS NEGOTIATIONS
WITH OUTSIDE COMPANY.
Improvement of Service and Lower
Price Per Phonetic Ac-
ton of Congress.

The citizens of the District. who are Incl
dentally subscribers to the service of the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany, are In a state of mind half joyful.
half anxious. The JOY is the direct result
of the action of the House of Representa-
tives in recommending reduction of the
existing telephone rates. The anxiety Is
due to the fact that the Senate committee
has not yet reported, and nobody seems to
know whether the upper house of Congress
will side with the citizens or the company.
The most significant news in this regard
was obtained today from Mr. B. H. Warner,
who said:
II am heartily In favor of any movement
for not only lower rate, but better
service. In fact. 1 am so heartily In favor
of the scheme and such firm believer IN
the equity of the proposition, that have
begun negotiations with wealthy com
pany to install rival or competing tele-
phone company in Washington. MY plans
have not taken definite FORM as yet. but II
Congress is sincere in it's action ana Will
support competing company by granting
it q favorable franchise, think we can
solve the problem to the ultimate satls1ac-
ton of all 1 believe the inconvenience
to which the people have been put LOT SO
many years will make 1t much easier Ior
them to indorse the action or the House VI
Representatives.
II know of several companies of recog-
nized standing who will be glad to place
their systems in this city, even at the rish
of opposing the Chesapeake and POTOMAC
Company and will furnish much Detter
service for not more than the rate now
specified by the House bill. and perhaps TOT
a trifle less. l see no good reason why we
cannot have competition here as elsewhere.
The people are willing to take the FISK OF
Inconvenience result IrOW
the installation of a rival line Whicn VIII
not have at first such an extended list OF
subscribers as the old company
Views of Mr.. Samuel Ross.
Samuel Ross of the firm of Barber q
Ross has given the matter considerable at
tention, and although not quite sharing
Mr. Warmers views as to the ability OF d
company to furnish unlimited service at So'
per annum, he is heartily in favor Oh the
movement for reduced rates and believes
the situation susceptible OF chanSe tor
the better
"As remember the bill which is favored
by the House, said Mr.. Ross this morn
ing, lit will not be of any great benefit TO
the business houses 1t prescrlbes remedy
for the users of party lines and phones III
residences, but the business houses which
pay the majority of telephone tolls. are not
going to profit by the bill. What we want.
and want badly. is an unlimited system,
and l am one or many WullllB u pay @lop
or even $500 per annum for an unlimited
service and I will take three telephones
for my business office. AT present we are
getting a limited service-that is, limited
number of calIs-at price which is too
much in proportion to the quantity ana
quality of the service rendered.
There is a company in Baltimore CIV
ing unlimited service for $75 per annum,
believe, and it Is reported the company
is making money and is perfectly salts
fed with it's bargain. Surely If we are
willing to pay $3.50 for the same service
some enterprising company ought to be
heard from. The Bell company has dis
continued its unlimited service in Balt1-
more, Philadelphia and New York, UNI
derstand but there are other companies
organized or organizing which promise
care SO much about the figure; what l
want is an unlimited service"
Confidence in Rival Company.
Other citizens were interviewed with
practically the same result The concen-
sus Of opinion seems to be that better
service can be obtained through rival
company at a lower rate.
Several prominent men declined to dis
cuss the matter until action shall have
been taken by the Senate on the House
bill. One two of the persons interviewed
were a bit doubtful that the bill will get
through the Senate without amendment.
gained considerable notoriety in the local
court several years ago. when an effort was
made to limit the telephone rates in the
District. 1t was claimed that the COM
pany then pleaded that lower rate would
constitute confiscation of property, and
there was not enough money in the ex-
chequer of the private citizens to combat
the theory.
Some stress was laid upon the fact that
the company has changed it's system from
the old ground method to the metallic cir
cult which has necessitated an expenditure
of much money, both in installation and
maintenance.
THE best argument against this confisca-
ton of property theory" said one citizen,
lis the fact that there are a dozen COM
panies which will come in here quicker than
you can say Jack Robinson II Congress
will only guarantee a reasonable franchise.
Where Congress will take the initiative the
people and the peoples capital will follow
Favors Reduced Rates.
Mr. Barry Buckley. secretary of the Bust
ness Mems Association. said that he was
individually and officially in favor of OBJ
tanning a reduction of telephone rates and
better service. provided it could be shown
that such could be accomplished without
resulting in hardship to either individuals
or corporations. He said that while the
association had never placed itself on rec
ord as favoring a rival company, he be-
lieved 1t to be the personal opinion of sew
eral of the most prominent members that
a rival company should and would re-
ceive the hearty support of the citizens