Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-13
WAR IS DECLARED
ON UTILITY RATES
Discrimination Against Mary
land by D. c. Companies
Charged in Federation.

War was declared by Maryland resi-
dents of the Greater Washington Met
ropolitan area last night to end what
was denounced in resolutions present
ed to the Montgomery County Civic
Federation as considerable condi-
lions" imposed by discriminatory rates
in the matter of telephone. lighting,
TRANSFORMATION and other public en-
terprises.
As a result of action taken by the
fedora ton. the whole question of rate
determinations. aimed particularly at
the proposed Encouragement of the
chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co.'S telephone facilities for suburba n
subscribers, was referred to the ex'
ecutive committee for special inves-
tisa ton, with instructions to take the
necessary steps to remedy conditions.
Plans of the federation will be formu'
lated at a meeting to be held the eve-
ming of December 20 at the Battery
Park Community House. when a spe-
cial representative of the telephone
company will present the company's
side of the controversy.
One of the resolutions provides the
machinery for filing a formal COM
plant with the Interstate Commerce
Commission against the telephone
company. attacking the reasonable
ness of the existing rates for the
Washington City service now being
furnished to residents of Maryland.
Want Rate Zone Abolished.
$50 far as telephone service is, con-
cerned." declared Delegate William ID.
Shoemaker of the Drummond citizens
committee. in offering the resolution,
there ought to be no District line"
While the new schedule of rates
proposed by the telephone company
has not vet crystallized, Mr.. Shoe
maker and Maj. f. Brooke Lee of
Silver Spring urged the federation to
organize for a showdown fight to pre-
vent further encroachment of dis.
criminatory rates imposed upon Mary
land suburban residents. Maj- Lee
declared the time has come when a
stop must be put to making the Mary
land District boundary line new
point for computing costs. With this
end in view. Maj. Lee offered the fol-
lowing resolution:
I'm order that Montgomery County
citizens may he fairly treated as resi-.
uenLS OF the 6TedleT w dSHltiS tOii
metropolitan district
BE it resolved. That the Montgom-
cry County Civic Federation expresses
its objection to any extra or discrim-
inatory additions to the cost of living
of residents of Montgomery County
based upon or levied because of the
existence of the Maryland District OF
Columbia boundary line.
Inquiry Is Provided.
BE it further resolved That the
executive committee be authorized and
requested to investigate all charges
made against Montgomery County
residents for cost of transportation,
communication, lighting, heating, de-
livery, commission rates on mortgage
loans or other general costs of living
affecting the general public, and where
discriminatory charges exist because
of the Maryland. District of Columbia
line and the Maryland residence of
the citizens or locations of the prop
erty affected. the executive committee
recommend to the federation de-
tailed course of procedure intended to
end the discriminatory charges"
, The discussion arose when an