Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-02
Raised. to Par Value.

After these assets were paid for. in
good part by local stockholders. the
value Of the stock as it appears in the
balance sheets Of the company is
m ns1s page sos Il is on this so
that the company now figures its al1eg-
ed Inadequate earnings. On 1T, accord
ing to a report to the Interstate Com
talization Of s13.ooo.ooo net income
in 1915.
The commission works out the fol-
lowing interesting results upon the
pany. exclusive Of working capital and
materials: December 81, 1897, the local
company had 2.153 subscribers upon an
Investment Of 356S.711. or an invest
cember. isos. the number Of subscribers
had grown to 10.957. while the invest
ment per station for the 1904 Of new
subscribers had fallen to $137.17. On
June, 80. 1871; the total had grown to
ment per station for the 1854 new
subscribers fell to $1,000. The aver
age for tho different periods is $115.06
page 1o): The company is now COM
The vice president Of the New York
Telephone Company, who appeared as
the expert witness for the telephone
company and who was examined at
great length, made his principal claim
for an increase in telephone rates on
the increase in cost Of labor and ma
terfals, and said the main result sought
by his company is to cut down useless
and prolonged idle talk over the wires.
which has nearly swamped the system.
The average number OF calls per day for
those having. individual wires, 1t later
developed. runs from about seven to
eight For Columbia station 1t is seven.
He was asked rs to the new rate for
NDNt htrr No
whose average number Of messages per
day now 10 seven. II they used tho tele-
phone to the same extent under tho new
rata. His answer was that the increase
wouid be from ~. the present rate. to
He was asked whore the greatest con-
gestion OF now business 10, ana he
answered that It lies in transient calls,
made by people called here by the ext
gency Of the war.
Declare Calls Too Long.
Upon tho next hearing 1t is hoped the
opportunity will present itself for this
witness to be asked why. II one Of the
principal ends sought by the company
IL to curtail needless talk over the
wires. that end could not be more
equitably secured. not by increasing the
rates Of those who are not delinquent
but by making q charge for CONVERSE
tions that are continued longer than a
period OF, say. i've minutes and for
calls beyond the average number per
day already ascertained. As he testified
that the company hopes to decrease the
amount OF conversation over the phone
by the new rates as much as Is Dor
cent. It would seem that the same re-
suit could be worked out much more
economically to the subscriber than by
the method proposed by the company,
II IL. also hoped he can be asked the
question why this of all the public
Utilities should be permitted to increase
its rates over 100 per cent. owing to a
congestion Of business that is tenn
porary. when such public utilities as the
railroads have been held up for years
In their attempt to get q raise OF 50
small an amount as IL per cent. when
they have been able to make & much
better showing on their increases in
costs OF operations, materials and CAPT.
tai and. the perfection Of their service
in comparison with the very poor tele-
phone service.
The witness brought out that he knew
OF NO increases heretofore in telephone
charges in the District, whereas the
company had made some voluntary re-
auctions. Il II hoped he can be also
asked II any such concessions were ever
made except after strong criticism and
protssts on the part o. the public
against me very Inferior service eup-
piled, one profitable campaign In par
tcular being led by the star. And fur
! 0ssr Il the policy Of the company haa