The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-07-23
ATTORNEYS OF
TELEPHONE CO.
MAKE ATTACK
ON DR.. WOLFF
By BILL PRICE.


Disregarding the fact that the
United States Government will within
eight days be in charge Of the tele-
phones and telegraphs OF the country
the attorneys for the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company today
made a hot attack before the Public
Utilities Commission upon DR.. F. A
Woln, the expert of the Bureau Of
Standards. whose recent testimony
before the commission they did not
like.
That testimony, it will be recalled,
was particularly favorable to the
cheapness of installation and opera
ton OF automatic telephones as com
pared to the manual system, which is
in use in this city. DR.. Wolff and
number of the other experts Of the
bureau testified at the last hearing
that Investigations made by them
showed that automatic equipment is
operated at a cost much less per sta
ton than the manual, with its effi-
cheney fully equal, il not superior,
to the manual.
Try To Show Bias
R V. Marye and J. L Swayze, head
counsel Of the A. T. & T. Co.. took
part in the cross-examination of Dr..
Woln. Mr.. Msrye having the leading
part.
The attack upon DR.. Wolff was ad-
mittedly for the purpose Of trying to
show that the participation of the
Bureau OF Standards in the telephone
hearings had been brought about be-
cause of DR.. VOLTS personal bias,
and to show, II possible, his ig-
noranee of vital questions connected
with the telephone business.
DR.. Wolff admitted that he had
several times stated that IL the fat
rate service in Washington were
abolished he would be compelled to
take the telephone out Of his home,
because he believed that a measured
rate service would cost him so much
more that, together with his other
increased expenditures, he would be
unable to continue the service. Al
though he had said this, he was, as
chief of the telephone section of the
Bureau of Standards, greatly interest
ed in the general question of tele-
phones.
Upon seeing in the newspapers that
the telephone company was to ask
for increased rates in this city, he
felt considerable interest not only as
a citizen but as a student of the tele-
phone question. He conferred with
President Crawford, of the Connecti-
cut Avenue Citizens Association,
which organization asked the Public
Utilities Commission to call upon the
bureau for advice.
DR.. Wolff said he also called upon
walter Allen, secretary to the Pub
lie Utilities Commission, and obtained
from that official the impression that
the hearings would be formal and
that the whole thing was practically
settled. Later, after the citizens as
ISOLATION had written the commission
asking the bureaus participation.
Secretary Allen wrote him a letter
saying the commission would be
glad to hear from experts of the bu-
reau-
Commissioners Sustain woIn.
DR.. Wolh declared that his per-
sonal interest as a telephone sub
scriber and his objection to the aboli-
ton of the fiat rate had played only
an insignificant part in his taking
the whole subject up and interesting
his superior officers in an investIga-
ton by the bureau. He felt that the
interests OF the public were of i'm
portance-
Commissioner Gardiner interjected his
opinion that there had been nothing i'm
proper In the course OF DR.. WoIn.
Dr.. Woln several times declined TO
answer questions as a representative OF
the bureau, and the telephone ATTORNEYS
tried to argue that Dr. Violin had been
heralded in all the previous testimony
as a representative Of the bureau. He
was willing TO answer as a bureau man
upon question that he had conferred
with bureau officials about, but not unon
questions concerning which he had not
ascertained the views Of higher officials