The Washington times., 1918-03-30
TELEPHONE
COMPANY IS
ANNOYEDAT
LONG DELAY
By BILL PRICE.

tucky, chairman Of the House Com
nittee on the District OF Columbia
has added the Chesapeake and Poto-
mac Telephone Company 10 the list
of those who do not love him. There
are others in Congress who are not
highly regarded by this company.
Mr.. Johnson's great patience In
holding off a vote by the House on
his bill for taking the business In
the District out of the hands OF the
company and placing it in TIE hands
of Postmaster General Bul1eson Is
the present source OF the Irritation
against him. The highly PAID law
yers and officials of the company
want the question OF ownership
pressed to a vote in Congress-. believ-
ing that the Government ownership
advocates will not 7Oe able to marshal
. majority of that body.
Want Quick Relief.
They are placed in a position that
= annoys them everN minute. The
utilities Commission. which heard
their appeal for rearranging tele-
phone charges In this city 80 that
the company viii not only be relieved
of considerable pressure on their
lines but permitted to obtain addi-
tional receipts, expressed the opinion,
an fits decision. that the company was
entitled to relief. but that the COM
mission was not prepared to give re-
lief while Congress was dallying with
the question of ownership.
But for Postmaster General Burle-
sons Interference at the last minute,
the telephone company would today
be curtaIIing its service and collect
ang more money for the diminished
service than before. Then Mr.. John
son took up the cudgels. had two
warm parliamentary fights in the
House over his telephone bill, and
finally had 1t referred to his own
committee, which has reported favor
ably upon It.
There is, therefore, hanging over
the heads of the company's officials
the constant threat Of Government
operation or ownership by Congress.
. while their hands are temporarily
tied against collecting more money
for service. Truly it's q sad situation,
with nobody in the town staying
awake nights worrying about It.
Ask COmmission's Aid.
Officials of the company have laid
before the Utilities Commission their
view that they ought to be granted
the relief sought without waiting for
possibly long delayed action in Con-
gress. They have been told that Mr..
johnson, although a Kentuckian, is
remarkably placid at times, and that
he never pushes one of his measures
IN the House until he has carefully
studied the strategy OF the opposing
forces and has his reserves all lined
l. L. NN--H.4
he may not open his batteries for
some time. In fact the fight may NOT
be opened for some weeks, and there
may be no final decision for months.
Should the commission go ahead and
grant relief to the company, Congress
might be<offended and Government
ownership might be given an impetus
that would push II across the Con-
gressionaI line. II the Utilities Com
mission goes forward and gives the
relief It says Is deserved, without re-
gard TO the legislative situation, what
50 likely to happen? II the copmission
holds off granting the relief while
Congress does nothing where does the
company get off? It's some predica-
ment. The users of telephones seem
20 be the only ones who are soothed.
win Put In Automatic System.
The telephone company has an
nounced that It intends to establish
an automatic service in Washington
that win cost $4,000, 900, and possibly
more. That service cannot be ready,
though, inside OF a year. New build
ings will have 20 be constructed to
house the automatic equipment and
many experienced workmen will be
required to put II in.
This is the system that the Post
master General promised TO install II
given charge Of the company. Post
master Chance claims that the depart
ment could install this complete sys-
tenn in four months time at a cost of
something like 100000.
The telephone company, Il was said
today, will go forward with its auto
matte plans despite the aggrayating
situation IN which II Is placed. The
system, whenever Il Is ready, will do
away with girl operators altogether.
The automatic exchange will be look
ed after by a few electrical and me-
ehanical experts.
It will be useless to try to say
sweet things to the automAtics. They
will not hear you. Neither will your
conversation stick in listening ears
You simply switch a few numbers
around on the dial attached to your
machine and get your number. II the
number is busy there will be a slight