The Washington herald., 1918-03-15
u. S. Control of Phones
and Street Cars Over
Until April 8.
ACTION WILL AWAIT
NEXT DISTRICT MONDAY
House Committee Reported
Fayorably on Both Prop
ositions Yesterday.

Now that the House has dis
posed of the pro6teering bill
aimed to prevent extortion in
rents here in the District. Chair
man Johnson said last night that
he hoped to have the legislative
decks soon cleared for action on
the bills advocating government
ownership of this city's telephones
and street railways, which were
favorably reported by his commit
tee yesterday.
Neither of these bills can be
given consideration in the House
before next District Monday
April 8-without the granting of
special rule. which is unlikely;
but it is certain that they will be
taken up then with the bill which
provides for the government own
ership of telephones being given
the preference.
Precedence Of No Moment
Representative Hilliard, of Colo
rado. who wrote the telephone re-
port. said last night that he be-
lieved that his measure would be
the first brought up. but this Ques-
tion of preference was of no great
moment This bill provides that the
Federal government shall take over
and operate telephones in the Dis
trict with the Postmaster General
designated as director general of
the system.
It Is known that Chairman John
son and his committee were prac-
ticaliy unanimous IA their approval
of the telephone measure No rec
ord vote was taken. however. on
either the telephone or street rail-
way report.
Representative Crosser, OF Ohio,
wrote the favorable report on his
bill which authorizes the District
government to take over and oper-
ate the street railway lines in the
District.
Third Measure Of Kind.
Chairman Johnson's telephone bill
is the third measure of this kind
which he introduced in quick sue
cession in the House within the last
two weeks and there is every rea-
son to believe that he will secure
the same satisfactory action on it
as he did on his anti-profiteerinG
measure.
The Crosser bill for street rail-
way ownership and operation in the
District by the District government
is the same measure which has been
twice previously favorably reported
from the House District Committee.
Representative billiards report
on the telephone ownership bill is
particularly interesting in that il
includes an expository statement of
costs and revenues of a postalized
automatic telephone system. which
will ultimately set a penny a call
rate for telephone calls in Washing
ton.
These estimates contemplate the
purchase of the existing telephone
plant in the District, the substi-
tuition of automatic equipment for
the present manually operated
switchboards. and the operation OF
the plant by the postal department.
Representative Hillard' $ report points
out:
The present charge for telephone
service in the District of Columbia
averages nearly cents per message.
The proposed initial rate under post
alization is 2 cents per message.
The proposed ultimate rate is ! cent
per message.
A summary of the statements and
estimates detailed here in and on
which these proposed rates are based
is as follows:
Cost Of existing plant. Sc, 2S3. .O5O.OO.
Cost of converting TO automatic,
s., lis. 5000.
Total hrst cost. sS.4OS. 5000. Or s153. 50
per station.
The House District Committee also
favorably reported out yesterday tho
bill introduced by Representative Dent,
of Alabama, at the request of the War
CONTINUED on PAGE FOUh.