The Washington herald., 1917-12-06
RATE INCREASE
OF TELEPHONE
NOT GENERAL
Proposed Raise Would Af-
feet Many Users
in Capital.

Not more than 25 per cent. of the
telephone users of the District will be
affected by the proposed increased
rates asked Of the Public Utilities
Commission Tuesday. by the Chesa-
peake & Potomac Telephone Co..
President Bethel. Of the company,
estimated yesterday.
The proposed changes in rates asked
by the company include the abolish
ment Of all fat rate unlimited resi-
dence telephone service. No change Is
asked for in the private line limited
gate except in those classes where the
nmit of calls which may be made
without extra charge reaches 2,10o per
year. when the proposed rate would
be cents for each extra message,
instead of cents. as at present.
In all classes where the number of
messages allowed without extra per
message charge is 2.1O0 or more per
year the charge would be increased to
Sc instead OF 81, as at present.
Private Branch Exchange.
The rate charged for private branch
exchanges would be increased s12 per
year on the minimum service allowed.
This increase would be brought about
by increasing the rate for such mes
sages from the present cost of 21l
cents each for 200 messages per month
to ; cents for each OF the 200 mes
sages. Calls in excess OF the minimum
Of 200 per month would be charged
at the rate of 3 cents each instead OF
cents. the present rate.
All local calls through a public pay
station would be doubled in cost, the
company proposing a rate of 10 cents
for each call of minutes or fraction
thereof. The present rate Is cents.
The increase in expenses for 1915
crease over 1915. 67S per cent; figures
based on the first 10 months of the
present year. show that expenses in
creased during 1911 approximately
6iB per cent over 1916.
Expense and Revenues.
Expenses for each month. ii was
said. during the present year have
steadily increased over revenue.
Last January comparative state
ments of expenses and revenue
with the same month last year.
showed that revenue had increased
S.07 per cent and expenses had in
creased 17.72. During September.
expenses increased 1913 per cent
and earnings increased 1854 over
September last year; while the fig
ures for October showed an increase
of lilo per cent and expenses were
62.25 per cent above those for the
same month last year.
President F. II. Bethel, of the
company. Robert Y. Marye, general
counsel. and 7. P. Sylvan and other
officials presented the plea for the
rate change to the Public Utilities
Commission Tuesday and will again
be present at the public hearing at
which they will be considered. No
date has as yet been set by Com
missioner Brownlow, chairman of
the commission. for this hearing.
A large nine-story building will
be erected by the company on Thir-
teenth street northwest, Immediate
ly in the rear of the present main
exchange on Twelfth street. The
cost of this it is said will be $780,
600. Work will be begun upon it.
Il was declared. as soon as possible
and every effort will be made to
rush it to completion
The cost of bringing experienced
operators, who have been trained in
other cities. to Washington to aid
in the handling of the enormous
number of messages was another
item that has adedd greatly to ex-
penses- These operators are paid
experienced operators salaries and
their board and lodging furnished
them free. Operators are started
on the pay-rolls of the company at
s6 per week, while they are at
school, and their salaries are in
creased when they actually begin
their work.