Evening star., 1918-02-25
ISSUE Of RAISING
PHONE RATES NOW
IN CONGRESS HANDS
Utilities Commission Suspends
Temporarily Action on Com
pany's Application.
OFFER OF POSTMASTER
GENERAL CAUSES STEP

Chairman johnson to Present Bill
in House for Post Office to Take
Over Service in District.
The question of increased telephone
rates in the District of Columbia was
put up to Congress today by the Public
Utilities Commission.
The commission suspended "for a
short time" action on the application OF
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company for an increase in rates. It took
this step to give Congress an opportunity
toaet ON the offer of the Postmaster Gen
eral, made to the commission Saturday
to take over and operate the business OF
the company in the District without in
creasing charges to consumers, II gwen
the necessary authority.
Higher Rate if Congress Doesn't Act
Should there be no action or pros
pect of action at the Capitol within a
reasonable time, the commission will
In the form of authority to charge in
creased rates.
The utilities board is convinced the
corporation must charge more Tor ITS
service If 1T is not to operate with a
deficit, but 1t is not going to grant re-
lief in the face of an offer from the
Postmaster General to operate the busi-
ness without increasing rates to con-
sumers until Congress has acted.
The commission considers its position
would be uhtenable If it immediately
decided that Washingtonians should
pay moro for telephone service, when
increased government business grow
ing out of the war principally is re-
sponsible for the telephone company's s
dimculties.. and especially when the
government may be said to have rec
ognixed this fact by offering to take
over the business of the company. op-
crate 1t without increasing charges to
consumers or reducing salaries of en-
plOyes and pay the company out of the
postal revenues.
70 Present Bill in House.
Chairman johnson of the House Dis
trice committee, said today that In a
day or two he would present bill in
the House.
bill for several weeks. and expects to
complete 1t today. He will call a spe-
eiAl meeting of the House committee
for consideration of the bill and will
Two bills already before the commit
tee. which would authorize the govern
ment to operate the telephone system.
were presented at the opening of the
Of Florida. chairman of the public
buildings and grounds committee. and
by Representative Cary of Wisconsin
Q member of the House District commit
Order Adopted by Commission.
The order adopted by the utilities
commission follows:
The testimony taken before the Pub
lie Utilities Commission in the matter
and Potomac Telephone Company for an
increase in rates clearly indicates that
the company is entitled to some relief
The relief sought by the company
also to decrease the telephone traffic
To give either or both kinds of re-
lief would involve a necessary sacrifice
on the part of the Individual patrons
OF the telephone. company.
IF there were nothing before the
commission but the testimony present
- by the company and by the commits
eion's own experts. 1t would be the duty
some readjustment of rates and terms
Of service.
Must Consider Offer.
However, the Postmaster General
through the chairman of the telephone
and telegraph committee of the Post
ONCE Department, at the close of the
hearings, formally notified the com
mission that the Post Office Depart
ment. If given authority, would take
over the telephone system in the Dis
trict of Columbia. and operate it with
out an increase of rates to consumers
and without decreasing the wages to
employees. and pay the company out OF
the postal revenues.
The commission is bound in sery
ing the interests of the public. to take
this oner into consideration. The Post
master General cannot act upon his
offer without legislative authority
Therefore. the commission will sus-
pend action on the application o,
the telephone company for a short
time. SO that Congress. if it sees Mt
may give the Postmaster General the
authority he needs to make his offer
effective"
, Senator King Wants Information.
Aroused over the proposal of the Pos,
Once Department. Senator King Of Utah
who Is strongly opposed to such action
introduced in the Senate resolution call
ing upon the Postmaster General to trans
NIT to the Senate the proposition made by
him to the utilities commission and aIsc
any Information authorizing him to make
any such proposition on the part of the
government.
coAdtof ming SdlQ ne believed that gov
0rnment operation of the telephone system
would be FAR more inefficient than the
private operation now in existence He
said he would ask the Senate to act i'm.
mediately upon his resolution. which fol
lows:
That the Postmaster General be d.
rected to transmit to the Senate the
proposition made by him to the Chesa
peake and Potomac Telephone Compan,
and also to transmit to the Senate any in
formation which he may possess author
1xtng him to make such. or any, proposi
tton looking to the taking over of ant
the operation by the government Of tn.
telephone system"
Senator Gore to Seek
Action on Bill Giving
U. S. Phone Control Here
Senator Gore Of Oklahoma, who som.
time ago introduced a bill for the
Continued on Second Page-)
TOMORROW Is