Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-14
GOVERNMENT.
I PHONE OWNERSHIP,
D. c. STREET CARS.
Members of House District
Committee Report on Public
Ownership Bills.
JOHNSON MEASURE THIRD
OF KIND IN FEW WEEKS
Chairman Asserts Every Effort Will
Be Made to Rush Action
in House.


in House.
Government ownership of telephones
in the District of Columbia and District
ownership of the street railways are rec
commended by the House District com
mittee in favorable reports ordered to-
day.
Representative Hilliard of Colorado
wrote the report on the telephone own
ership bill This provides that the fed
eral government shall take over and
,perate telephones in the District of
Columbia, with the Postmaster General
designated as director general of the
system.
The House District committee in
structed Representative Crosser of Ohio
to write a favorable report on his bill
which authorizes the District govern
ment to take over and operate the
street railway lines in the District.
There were several votes in opposition
to both measures. No record vote was
taken.
Third Measure of Kind.
TIE johnson telephone bill is the
thi.d measure of this kind which he in
troduced in quick succession in the
House within the last couple of weeks
Chairman Moon of the House commit
tee on post office and post roads claimed
for his committee jurisdiction OF the
hrst two bills, claiming that they in
frinved nn0n the machinery of the Post
Ofice Department
Chairman johnson of the House COM
mittee then framed his third telephone
ownership bill so worded that no ref
sefence was made to the Post ONCE De-
nartment, but the Postmaster General
1eas designated as director general
Tho Crosser bill for street railway
ownarehip and operation in the District
~ fhe District government is the same
,ne&sure which has been twice pre-
yjounlys favorably reported from the
House District committee
EhAtrnian johnson has stated his in
! tention to push both measures for early
action in the House.
Gives Expository Statement.
Representative billiards report on
the telephone ownership bill gives an
expository statement of costs and reve-
nues of a postalized automatic tele-
phone system for the capital.
These estimates contemplate the pur-
ing telephone plant in the District, the
substitution OF automatic equipment
for the present manually operated
ewitchboards. and the operation of the
plant by the postal department
Representative Hilliard's report points
out:
The present ch>tge for telephone
service in the District of Columbia
a
The proposed initial rate under
postalization is cents per message.
The proposed ultimate rate is L cent
per message.
estimates detailed herein and on which
these proposed rates are based, is as
rollows:
First Cost.
Cost of existing plant. Sc, ,2s3, ,050. 90
Cost of converting to auto
mdtlc ll5,5SO.00
Total first cost. SIS, ,40S, $50 90
Or $153.S0 per station.
Annual Charges.
Total annual charges of new plant.
s9S2.439.21 or s17-97 per station.
The proposed initial rates for service
are based on an average revenue of
cer-s per message, and an estimated
minimum average yearly calling rate
of 200. making the minimum average
meet the annual charges (s17.9Tp and
leave a profit of S6 per telephone or
total of s32s.626 per annum.
The rates proposed are:
Single line business or residence, in
cluding 1900 messages, s24 per year.
Tvo-party line residence telephones.
Including 600 messages. sl2 per year; ad-
ditional messages. cents each.
All special services, p. B. " extern
sions, etc. on bases 2 cents per mes
sage.
The present average calling rate is
SsS per telephone per year. (See note)
The average calling rate for the United
States tsee last census) is I,747 (BeID
and 2,055 independently.
Charges Will Be Met.
Even if the present calling rate Is
not increased. the annual charges will
be practically met by the proposed p
cent rate The revenues above indicated
will be further enhanced by the per-
centage receipts from originated toll
cluded in these estimates.
The ultimate proposed rate is based
on an average revenue of l cent per
message. When $4,000 telephones are
in operation. the annual charges are
estimated at $3.50 per telephone
which. if the calling rate is increased
to 1850 0ess than the present average
for the United States, either Bell or
Independent systems) would be met by
the 1-cent rate. With 1-cent rate
however. the average number of mes
sages should exceed 2.000-equaI to
$40.
Note-A comparison of the company
statements contained in the reports of
the Public Utilities Commission of the
District of Columbia for 1914 and 1915
shows the following:
1914 1915
Originated messages, per
station .......... 1044 1928
Completed messages. per
The completed messages for 1915
are not given. but. assuming the same
ratio of completed to originated mes
sages as in 1914, the number is SsS
per station.
The average revenue per station for
1915 is given as S34.J5. The exact
average revenue per message is, there
fore. $003SS.
TT should not be inferred that the
use of the automatic in Washington
would in any way interrupt or render
more dificulf camrTu nj tim with