Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-18
SERVICE SYSTEM
HARD TO REGULATE
Telephone Company's Answer
to the Complaint of Be-
thesda Patron.
UNABLE TO MEET DEMAND
OF ALL ITS SUBSCRIBERS
Interstate Commerce Commission Is
Asked to Reject Plea Of
the Petitioner.

Taking the position that every one can
not be pleased. the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Company today filed
with the interstate commerce commission
its answer to the brief of D. E. Stephan
of Bethesda, Md, who is seeking to COM
pei the company to give him direct line
| telephone service with the Cleveland ex-
change in Washington. He now has a
connection only with the Bethesda ex-
change and has to pay toll rates to tele-
phones in Washington.
| The telephone company. in it's brief.
points out that in the operation of a
boundaries. and in the application Of
| such system it is unavoidable that
| some individual subscribers will. at
| times. find themselves Inconvenience
| and dissatisfied with the standard rules
of service as applied to their particular
| conditions.
1t is pointed out by the company that in
! laying out the system it has been found
that local telephone service was the
! only feasible One-that is, a service where
all the telephones in certain zone were
connected with an exchange centered
right in the area.
No Remedy Found.
"Al personal inconvenience cannot be
eliminated the company says, in its
brief. 1T is manifest" it is continued,
that a remedy for each individual in
stance cannot be found in shifting the
boundary lines.
/ If boundary line has been properly
run in accordance with the reasonable
general requirements of the system. the
expedient of attempting to move the line
for the relief of an individual will in,
evitably result in shifting similar or
greater Inconvenience upon others. One
of the controlling considerations in the
original fixing of the boundary lines is
| to place the divisions with due regard
to the other essentials of the problem,
where such causes of dissatisfaction will
| be reduced to a minimum There is no
hope of removing them altogether.
The present case is plain illuStra-
ton of the personal inconvenience which
| may be caused to a few individuals by
| the establishment of local area"
The company further states that it
/ jury or inconvenience has been caused
| to the complainant by the establishment
of the Bethesda area as 1T now exists
The complainant. the brief continues, by
| reason Of his personal interest. has more
| use for the toll traffic than for the
Local traffic and therefore he Is dis
| piled to his conditions.
He is unwilling to take it as toll
| service and pay for 1t a toll service.
He demands special plan with differ
1 cit more ldNOTdOte terms IMAM IS
| comprised in the system which must be
provided and supported for the service of
| the general body of subscribers
Special Rates Offered.
| The brief states that while the COM
pany is firmly convinced, from expert
ence and study Of the question. that this
| special demand must be restricted for the
protection and upbuilding of the sytem
of service most necessary and useful to
| the general body of subscribers, it has
not felt justified in utterly refusing to
| comply with the demand
The respondent, therefore, had adopt
ed and offered a rule of practice under
| which subscriber may get special
| rates into foreign exchange upon
terms not unduly burdensome under
the circumstances, yet, as compared
with standard rates of regular sub
scribers. not distinctly favorable or
preferential to the special subscriber.
| The respondent, in conclusion, con-
tends that it's decision in refusing to
| comply with the compliments demands
ought not to be set aside by the COM
mission except upon overwhelming
proof that such action is necessary in
the interests of the, entire community
! to be served by the particular local ex-
| change areas involved. and that the
| complaint should be dismissed .