The Washington times., 1922-11-27
ASKS GUT
NVPHONE
RATE
Company Argues Unlimited
Method ls Increasing Too
Fast to Handle.

Claiming that the popularity OF
the two-party message telephone
rate Is tending to seriously inn
pair the quality or character of
Washington's telephone service,
officials Of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company today
appeared before the Public
Utilities Company and submitted
arguments in support of their
request ON October 81 to reduce
the unlimited residence service
from $3.50 to $500 per month.
Increasing Too Fast.
Graphically illustrating their argu-
ments with q number OF huge
charts which were set up in front OF
the Commission w. B. Clafkson,
and spokesman for the telephone
company. submitted figures which
show that the two-party message
liness have grown I'm Washington
frotn s,gs3 on January I, 1919 to
1864 on November I, 1929. an In.
crease OF 11o.1l per cent.
Mr.. Clarkson outlined the three
classes of telephone service which
are offered and told the members
6f the commission that the company
had decided that the best way to
divert the present popularity Of the
two-party line was to decrease the
monthly cost of unlimited residence
service as they are asking.
Wflliam Nick Clayton, represent
fnk the Federation of Citizens' Assoc
cil5tions. sinterposed counter argu.
-ment1 numberiess times during the
hearing ana questioned both Mr..
Clarkson ana d. A. Devane, general
counsel Of the telephone company. as
20 their motives in asking fr the 80.
cent per month reduction.
Means Increased Return.
Mr.. Clayton contended that the
class Of patrons who pay for the
Individual line message rate of fifty
calls q month should be given the
preference In any reduction contem.
plated by the company. declaring
that it n more logical that the tele-
phone patron who relinquishes O.
tw6rparty line win take up the fifty
message rate rather than the nm
limited service. He also quizzed the
telephone officials an to why they
did not credit calls not used by re-
stricted subscribers within one
month on the next month, but Chair.
man Keller interposed at this juno
ture and reminded him that such
argument was out Of place at the
present. Il .tf
Another argument which Mr..
Clayton advanced in the interest
OF citizens, was that the telephone
company should increase the mum.
ber of CALLS In the individual mes
sage rate from fifty to sixty, but
this also. Chairman Keller remind
Cd, should be made the basis Of a
new heating.
Mr.. Claytotn brought out that
the reduction asked for by the com.
pariy win cost them sos, 900 q year,
but that II Il succeeds In getting
twoparty line patrons to shift to
unlinaited service It win mean a
decided increase IN their revenues.
II was emphasized by the teIe.
phone experts that the reduction
was not asked with q view OF I'm
creased revenue, but that Il was n
matter OF public service, inasmuch,
- X the present trend toward two
party telephones continues the
situation in Washington win become
s-intolerable," ~ 5Ilt 7-TI
The figures presented showed
that the increase Of unlimited
phones was only 25.5 per cent and
Of the Individual message lines, 53.I
as compared with the two.party in.
crease OF 110.1 per cent. 49,.