The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-12-15
REDUCED Phone
RATES APPROVED
Utilities Board Sanctions Big
Cut in Tariffs by Local
Telephone Company.
MEANS $105,0O0 YEARLY
Calls Over Private Branch Exchanges
Will Cost 2 Instead of 2 - Cents.
Hotels Will Benefit.

Telephone rates for business houses
and party-line subscribers Will be sub
stantially reduced before the new year
Is far under way, in accordance with
a set of revised tariffs filed with the
Public Utilities Commission yesterday
by the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company. The rates were ap-
proved Immediately by the commits
sion.
The reductions do not include the
great mass of private subscribers to
unlimited service. in view of the use
to which residence direct unlimited
service is used, no reductions in rates
for that service can be offered" the
company states in that connection.
The company tells the commission
that the new rates will mean a de-
crease of s1o5.0oO a year in its reve-
nues, but expresses the hope that as a
result of said reductions the tele-
phone will find its way into new cor
ners of the District. There are now
$1,000 phones in the District, accord
ing to the company.
Calls over private branch exchanges
will, after January l, be 2 cents per
call. instead Of L. cents, provided
the exchange handles more than 200
calls month. AS practically all
business houses handle that number.
hundreds of dollars a year to hotels.
apartments. and similar places.
A reduction also will be made be-
ginning February l in the cost OF
phones connected with private ex-
changes. Heretofore. the monthly
charge has been so cents flat for each
phone attached to such exchanges.
Under the new tariffs the 50-cent rate
will apply only to the first ten phones
60 ha
ond ten, and for all over twenty. the
charge will be 80 cents.
Two-party Rate Reduced.
The two-party business rate remains
unchanged, but the number OF calls al
lowed for that price has been increased
from thirty to forty calls month. with
a charge of five cents for each call over
forty and with the privilege of an an
nual adjustment on the basis of $50 mes
sages as a minimum. This means that
such subscribers may use their phones
more than forty times during some
months and less than that number dur
ing others, provided they aggregate $50
calls a year.
The two-party residence rate will be
reduced. beginning April /, from $50
month to s. a month. with the right to
send thirty calls month and five cents
this service may also take advantage of
the yearly settlement of $50 calls.
The charge for coin-boN service in
semi-publc places is reduced. beginning
March /, from $3.50 to 81 a month. but
with the guarantee of the subscriber of
two calls day. with the privilege of
annual adjustment-that is. permitting
three calls one day and one the next
The following change in extension, tie.
private. and leased wire service will so
into effect April l: The individual line
rate for a minimum of GO messages a
year is reduced from S. - a month to
500 a month. Reductions of from IS
to S. i year are made at other points in
the individual line schedule. The auxil-
larry line rate is reduced from $3.50 to
se.25 month.
The following changes in individual line
limited service will go into effect Feb
ruary !: The rate for private lines. ex-
tension lines, and tie lines is reduced
SlO.50 per quarter-mile per annum.
based on route measurements.