The Washington times., 1917-01-17
RATES DEFENDED
BY PHONE co. HEAD
President Bethel, Of Chesa-
peake and Potomac, Before
House Committee.
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revenue received by the company in
Washington is $s4. while in London the
average Is 80"
In beginning his testimony President
Bethel said he appeared as president
Of the Chesapeake and Potomac Com
pany and executive head of the Bell
interest in seven Eastern States.
81 shall. not discuss the theoretical
question of government ownership.
Upon that question there can be and
there is an honest difference OF opin-
ion."
President Bethel said, however,
that he challenged the contentious of
Mr.. Lewis, and the other supporters of
the bill, and would answer every one
of them and analyze the statistics pro-
duced in their support, and especially
the claim that the present telephone
utilization is low and the cost of the
service high.
He said he would show that the pro-
posed experiment in the National Capt.
tai would be calamitous, and ought
not to be attempted. 1t would be
equally detrimental to Washington
and to the geenral telephone service
of the country to attempt to make of
of Columbia a function of the Post
office Department, he declared. as
would bring about a division of re-
sponsibility for the proper mainte-
nance of local and nationwide serv-
ice.
UphoIds Rates Charged Here.
II shall show that in 50 far as local
rates are concerned, the rates charged
here are less than the rates charged
in other capitals of the world, and
that they are as low or lower than
rates charged in other American cities
comparable with Washington.
Il shall show by facts; as against
Mr.. Lewis claims, that in working
out our schedules of toll rates we
have considered the needs of the pub
lie, with the result that we have a
toll plant, a toll traffic and a set of
toll rates that cannot be matched by
any. country in the world. In the
density of the development, in the
utilization of the service, both local
and long distance, we are far ahead
of all other countries. In the matter
OF preparedness, we are an institution
of which our nation should be proud.
We have given a great amount Of con-
sideration to the welfare of our en-
ployes with the result that our en-
ployes are as well treated as the en-
ployes of Government or pirate enter
prises anywhere on earth. In this
country the benefits that go with
telephone service have been extended
to the rural DISTRICTS as nowhere else
on earth The telephone plant is be-
ing utilized for telephone and for tele-
graph traffic in a most extensive and
a most efficient manner.
Pay $4,000 In Taxes.
an the District OF Columbia we pay
to the Government in taxes $4,000
per annum, which is some $4,000
per annum in excess of the amount
we collect from the National and Dis
trict governments for telephone serv-
ice. The tables of rates and utiliza-
tion, local and national, set up by Mr..
Lewis, in which comparisons are made
between one city and another, in his
desire to prove a lack OF utilization
Of the service here, are absolutely
without value. The return on the in
vestment in the property is not per
cent, but that in the Bell system the
return for 1915 was 4.76.
AT the outset permit me to say
that we have developed a great art,
an art to which we are devoting our
lives and to which we are constant
ly bringing improvements. Something