The Washington times., 1917-01-04
Would Mean Increased Use and
Cheaper Service, Says
A. P. Conner.
COMPETITION AS RESULT
Says Government Suffers Un-
der Its Present Contract
With Bell interests.

Asserting that the passage OF the
Lewis or Pomerene bills for post
office ownership of the telephone in
Washington would mean a greatly in
creased use of telephones by private
subscribers, and q marked reduction
In the cost of service to the Federal
Government, A P. Conner, chairman
of the public utilities committee Of
the Southeast Citizens Association, re-
views the agitation for public owner
ship of telephones in Washington, in
Telephony" this week.
Postoffice control OF telephones
here, Mr.. Con1or asserts, "means that
the Government would take care of
the service itself. 1t would buy all
the apparatus it could use under
proper conditions and contracts, and
as freely from independent telephone
manufacturers as the Bell interests.
Would Mean Increased Use.
"It also would buy the apparatus
for use on the citizens circuits in
Washington. There would naturally
be q greater increase in the use Of
the telephone in the city than at pres
emit. 1t would seem to be a conserva-
tive estimate that some 10000 ad-
ditional sets would be absorbed in a
year or so, by reason Of this Govern
ment ownership, and lower rates to
the public, who would seem to be in
clined to make a universal use Of this
means of communication. At present
only the relatively well-to-do can afford
to have a telephone in their homes in
Washington
Speaking Of the cost of telephone
service to the Government under
present contracts, Mr.. Connor's ar
ticle states:
THE reader will find that the cost
is as hard to get at as will'o-the-
wisp, and the Government of the
United States, which contracts so
carefully and rigidly in every other
respect, is the one that is paying
this bill"
what Government Contract shows.
According to Mr.. Connor, the con-
tract with the Government shows:
~. The Bell interests make the con-
ditions of the contract instead of
Government experts.
'2. The Government is not protect
ed in the buying of telephone aD-
paratus by specifications, inspec-
lions, tests, and expert services as
the law requires generally in regard
TO material that it buys.
go. The Government gives the Bell
interests a monopoly in the renting
of telephone apparatus to it.
81 The Government pays high for
the privilege of dealing with the Bell
interests in regard to its telephone
apparatus.
80. There is no definite charge for
telephone service"
No Chance For Competition.
Mr.. Conner further asserts that the
checking up the number OF calls il
makes: there is no chance for indie
pendent telephone interests to COM
pete; rates are no less than those to
ar ordinary subscriber, and the con-
tract is not one for service, but "a
combination-service and material
renting arrangement that is made
as complicated as possible to the fl
nancial detriment to the Government
and the competitive rights of outside
telephone interests"
In editorial comment on Mr. Con-
nor's article, Telephony" in the same
issue, says:
There is nothing in the light of ex-
perience to make Government owner
ship of telephones particularly attrac-
tive to either the telephone user or
the taxpaying citizen. Our Federal
affairs are not run on a very efficient
business basis, or any basis that
would promise much efficiency or
economy, but there is a real satisfac-
ton, however, in casting out a mo-
nopoly, such as fhe Bell maintains.
'In Competitive Market
zone thing, If the Government does
take over the District of Columbia
telephone system, it probably would
buy its equipment and supplies in the
competitive market, and Independent
manufacturers would have an oppor-
tUnity to bid for the business
at is unfortunate that a private en-
terprise is not in that section and able
to furnish competition, which would
spur the Bell to giving adequate, sat
isfactory service. However, If there
were competition, or a chance for
competition, the Bell organization
would not be loafing on the job and
making the citizens of Washington
desperate enough to ask for Govern