The Washington times., 1912-01-03
PHONE REGULATION IN BAL.
TIMORE AND HERE.

: The Maryland public service commits
sion has just approved an order i'm
posing new rates and conditions upon
the telephone service of Baltimore. 1t
is especially interesting to people of
the District of Columbia, because it
illustrates the differences between pub
lie control OF public service corpora.
tions, which they have in Maryland,
and public control BY public service
corporations, which has us here.
1t is to be said that Maryland's >
commission is an almighty conserva.
tive one. The public over there is not
by any means satisfied with the new
deal that has been granted to Balti.
more. Yet it is immeasurably better
than anything Washington can hope
for until Congress shall give this town
some regulative authority.
1t is worth while to keep in mind
that the telephone service of Wash
ington and of Baltimore are all parts
of the great Chesapeake and Potomac
system. There is expert authority for
the statement that conditions of lne
telephone business in Washington arc
calculated to make it more profitable,
and to justify lower rates, than in
Baltimore.
The Government, for example, is
the largest user of telephone service.
Government business, profitable be-
cause, as the railroad men would say,
the traffic is dense, the number of in
struments within small area is very
large, construction costs are cheap Der
instrument, and the business admins
tration is reduced to minimum OF
cost. Collections, solicitation, etc., is
practically without cost.
In view of these circumstances there
is general agreement that rates il,
Washington are excessive. Compared
with other cities whose conditions are
comparable, there can be no doubt on
this point. Either the telephone
service here. earns unconscionab bic
profits or else-it is conducted at ruinous
loss in other cities. The fiscal status
of the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, in control of the Ches-
apeake and Potomac, makes this latter
hypothesis quite impossible.
The Maryland commission has order
ed an average of about 10 per cent re.
duction in business rates, and directs
that subscribers may have cash boxes
or registering devices attached to their
Instruments, SO that they may not be
dependent on the company's record OF
calls. This is certainly worth while.
for the records of company and patron
constantly vary widely, and the com.
pany has a cheerful. way of making
mistakes on only one side-its side.
During the investigation in Baltimore
some months ago some startling tes-
timony was presented about this class
of mistakes" by business men who
had carefully tested the matter and
kept record of results.
We learn that the Baltimore regu-
lations, just ordered, are regarded as
victory for the company. If that is
true, if patrons there are entitled to
more than a 10 per cent reduction,
then patrons in Washington are easily
entitled to 25 per cent reduction.
Yet there is not ghost of a chance
for Washington to make even a be-
ginning toward better conditions until
Congress gives us public service COM
mission.
Other cities may adjust their affairs
to their necessities and deserts; Wash
ington, never.
Other cities may reduce the cost OF
gas; not Washington. 1t gets the poor
little concession the Gas Monopoly
chooses to grant.
Other cities may compel their gas
companies to install the quarter in the
slot meters, which give honest measure
of gas and vastly reduce bills. Not
Washington.
Other cities may compel universal
car transfers. Not Washington.
Other cities may have Scent fares T;
Washington dares not think of them.
1t is time for Congress to quit talk