Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-02
CITIZENS TOFAV0R
PHONE RATE RAISE
IF NEED Be SHOWN
Federation Decides to Sup
port Utilities Boards Judq-
ment in Matter.

If the Public Utilities Commission
finds that the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company is en-
| titled to the increased rates 1t has
| asked for the Federation of Citizens.
Associations will favor granting the
increases.
This policy M9s decideIs on, by the,
feoeraticn at a meeting in the board
| room OF the District building last
night after "A. e. Berry, president OF
the company. had explained in detail
its financial condition. Mr.. Berry
also submitted to quizzing by the
delegates.
Hearing on the application of the
of the telephone company begins be-
fore the. Utilities Commission at the
District building at 10 o'clock Thurs
day morning.
Must Install Exchanses.
In the course of his talk Mr.. Berry
revealed the fact that the company
Will have to install new exchange
In the vicinity of Brook1and or
Brightwood within eighteen months.
The new exchange. the president
stated, will be equipped with auto
matte telephones. The policy of the
company, he added. will be to make
all new exchanges automatic and in
time make the whole system auto
matte.
In answer to a question Mr.. Berry
said to make the entire system auto
matte at one time would cast several
millions Of dollars 1t will he wiser
he said. to replace the manual
switchboards with automaticc grad
ually.
Quotes Rates In Other Cities.
Answering a question by George
Russell Of the Park View Association.
Mr.. Berry quoted the rates from De-
troit. Baltimore and Pittsburgh. which
he regarded as cities properly COM
parable with Washington, to show
that rates, here compare favorably
with the rates in those cities
Mr.. Berry said that while some other
large cities get more messages per
month for fixed sum than Wash
ington. it should be remembered that
here resident can get unlimited
service for IS month.
The Increases being asked for by
the company follow: Unlimited resi-.
dence service. from SIS to $3.50
month; two-party line residence sery-
ice. from S2.25. to $3.50 for thirty-five
calls a month; individual line, busi-
ness or residence, from $3.50 to 81 for
fifty: calls month; two-party line
business service, from $3.50 to 81 for
forty calls a month. Increases also
are asked for private branch excbanea
service.
Answering the argument that the
people OF the District are being asked
to pay higher rates to make IN for
additional service being given tho
government departments since tha
war, Mr. Berry stated that the gov
ernment has 20 per cent Of the tele-
phone stations and pays 20 per cent
Of the company's revenue.
Government Paying Share.
He said In his opinion the povern
mont Is paying for its share Of the
service.
Since 1915. Mr.. Berry continued
$4,000 new telephone stations have
been added to the business of the
company and that a little less than
half of them were for the govern
ment. i
I'VE need additional service in such
outlying sections as Brookland and
Petworth and also downtown" tho
president Of the company declared.
''and II we don't get the money to
make tho necessary extensions in a
few months We arc going to fnd our.
selves unable to meet the demand for
service"
May He Reduced In Future.
Delegate George Wales drew from
MIR, Berry the statement that II wages
and the cost Of materials return to
Continued on Page ,. Column 81