The Washington times., 1917-08-24
GOOD PHONE
SERVICE WITH
LOWER RATE
ISASSURANCE
By BILL PRICE.

By BILL PRICE.
Experts of the Public Utilities
Commission of the District are now
at work upon the books of the Chesa-
peace and Potomac Telephone Com
pany, of this city, headquarters Of
which are in Baltimore, acquiring
information for presentation to the
commission when that body early in
the coming winter takes up the ques-
tion Of telephone rates in Washing
ton.
Major Oliver P. Newman, retiring
chairman of the Board of Commits
sioners of the District, and member
of the Public Utilities Commission
since its creation, indicated in a re-
cent interview in The Times, which
attracted much attention, that rates
charged telephone subscribers here
were subject to possible downward
revision SO soon as the commission
could go more fully into the matter.
Fix Phone Company Valuation.
Following exhaustive hearings as to
the valuation of the properties OF the
telephone company inside the Dis
trict, the commission last May fixed
this valuation to be S6,7s3,932. as OF
December 81, 1916. To this valuation
there must be added, when the COM
mission again approaches the subject.
the cost Of a large amount of work
done by the company in Government
departments in Washington since the
outbreak of war, together with such
additions as have been made to meet
the normal growth of the telephone
business in this city.
That the company has spent many
thousands of dollars since April last
installing new switchboards and serv
ice in Government departments, to
meet emergency conditions imposed
by the war, is frankly admitted by Of
ficials of the commission. and 1t is
to secure full information regarding
these costs that experts are working
upon the books of the company and
will continue to keep in touch with
fits affairs for some time to come.
The telephone company took no ap-
peal from the valuation fixed by the
commission, but presented claims for
intangible expenses and cost of orig
inal development which the commits
sion failed to accept in full, the un-
derstanding being that they would re-
ceive further consideration when the
subject of rates is approached.
May Cut Party-LIne Rates
Those who have had a close glimpse
into the workings of the commission
and the sentiment among its members
and officials are today OF the opin-
ion that IL a reduction in rates is
ordered II will largely beneft the
party-line subscriber and give little
aid to hat-rate subscribers now pay
ing 81 each month for exclusive use
of their lines. The data before the
commission has up to this time tended
to show that the fiat-rate subscriber
makes frequent and often excessive
use of his privileges. This class OF
subscriber does not take this view,
however, and will be prepared to ener-
Eetically submit his claims along with
other classes OF subscribers at the
proper time.
The fixing Of rates will, Of course,
largely depend upon the profits of the
company. The policy of the commits
sion, as outlined on several occasions,
and particularly in the naming Of
rates for electric light service in
Washington, has been to permit suf-
ficient profit by utility concerns TO
pay reasonable dividends upon fairly
issued stocks and interest upon bond
obligations, with due allowance for
improvements and expansion.
Better Service Promised.
Officials of the telephone company
have given promise that the service
in washington, which has recently
caused widespread complaint, will be
vastly improved with the early oper-
alton OF the new Franklin exchange,
located in the building of the COM
pAny on Twelfth street, north OF G.
This exchange will be ready for &C
tive operation within ten days. 1t is
intended to relieve the pressure on
the main exchange by putting into the
Franklin exchange several classes OF
lines now served through main.
Reports by the company are to the
effect that it has been caught in the
rush OF war preparations and is fight
ing day and night to improve the
service generally. One hundred ex-
perienced telephone girls were recent
iy brought here from other points.
The company is still seeking both ex-
perienced and inexperienced girls for
the added work imposed upon it.
Prepayment Booths Coming.
Among the promised Improvements
are the early installation OF prepay
ment machines throughout this city to
take the place OF the post-payment
slot contrivances. These new ma
chimes have been tried out in New
York and are said to be a vast i'm
provement over the old method of
dropping your nickel when the oper-
stor directs you TO do so. Sometimes
the operator does not hear the click
OF the nickel or your nickel is held Up
by another that has stuck. You and
the operator have a nice old wrangle
which does nobody any good. The
new machine is designed TO make you
actually love the operator. 50 easy
will everything go. You simply drop
your nickel and call for your number.
II the number is busy the operator
touches little button and the nickel
IS handed back to you. All pay sta
tions in Washington are to have The
new machine as fast as the company
is able TO get men to do the instalIa-
tion work. Some preliminaries are
yet to be completed, but there is no
doubt that the old post-payment slot
ga