Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-16
TELEPHONE RATE
CHANGES LISTED
Mileage Fees in Arlington
/ win Be Discontinued
in December.

Proposed changes In rates and i'm
provenents in service for all of Ar
lington County, Va, and the territory
served by the Hyattsville and Capitol
Heights exchanges in Prince Georges
County, Nd, were announced today by
the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co. The reductions which will include
optional local Washington service, will
amount to approximately $4,000 yearly
in Arlington County and $4,000 in
Prince Georges County.
In Arlington County the present
mileage rates will be discontinued and
the service divided into three zones in
addition to the present base rate area.
In Prince Georges County the mileage
rates will be maintained.
New Rates Submitted.
The new rates were submitted to
the Arlington County Public Utili-
ties Commission last night by G. H.
Weber, general manager Of the Chesa-
peake & Potomac Telephone Co. OF
Virginia, and j. A. Deuterman, local
manager for the company a study
OF the situation has been under way
bv the local Utilities Commission. by
whom the request for reduction In
rates was made.
According to officials of the COM
pany, it is planned TO make the new
service effective In December, when the
new directories will be published.
The present rates will be maintained
IN the base rate area, which includes
Clarendon, Ballston, Cherrydale. Lyon
Village, Lyon Park and Ashton Heights.
The only change in this area will be
that for an increased monthly charge
unlimited service to Washington may
be obtained At the present time all
calls to Washington from Arlington
County are subject to scent toll
charge for each minutes Of con-
veYsation.
Additional Charge.
The three zones will each carry a So
cent additional charge per month for
individual service In place OF the pres
emit mileage rates, which in some in
stances are very high. For instance,
in the base rate area the individual
fat rate for residence telephones will
be $275 and In the first zone, $3.25:
second zone, $3.75, and third zone, $4.25.
At the present time there are no
two-party lines In Arlington County,
the smallest number on any party line
being four. Under the new plan there
will be both business and residence
two.party lines, the first on basis OF
e3.I5, with an increase in rate OF IS
cents for each zone, and the second,
$3.50, with a like zone increase. The
four-party fiat rate viii continue st
50, with a ascent zone increase.
FOR local service to Washington the
rate for business phones will be s.
menthly with o limit of so calls and
q sliding srale Of reductions for addi-
tional calls. Individual residence
phones viii be on the same basis, except
that for 90 monthly unlimited service
to washington may be obtained. The
two-party rate for the washington
service viii be $3.50, with limit Of IS
calls monthly,
Avoid Toll Calls.
subscribers taking advantage of the
sloeal-to- Washington" service will also
eliminate a toll call for persons calling
them from Washington. Hence, a
washington business man living IN
Arlington County would have unlimited
service between his ONCE and home.
Telephone company off1cials point
out that IL has been impossible TO pre-
pare q schedule showing the present
rates outside Ct the base rate area be-
cause Of the difference in mileage rate
charges. However, in some sections,
such as Virginia Highlands. subscribers
are now paying as high as $4.25 for
aour-party service and $3.50 for tndi-
vidual residence service. Under the
new schedule the former viii be reduced
20 s275 monthly and the latter 10 $4.25
monthly.
ttons as Lee Heights. Halls Hill, Giebe-
wood and Penrose; the second, Leeway,
Country Club Hills, Jewel Station, Bar
croft, Alcova Heights and Arlington;
the third. Virginia Highlands, Nauk,
Green Valley and Glen Carlyn. In
some instances small portions Of some
Of these subdivisions may extend into
other zones.
new exchange name for subscribers to
the NEW "local-to-W Washington" service,
but there will not be another switch
board. The new exchange name, which
has not been decided upon, is neces-
sary In distinguishing between calls for
which toll charge must be made and
those for which no charge is made.
Fill SubscriberS' Needs.
According to G. l. Kephart, secretary
of the Arlington County Public Utilities
Commission, the increased variety of
service, IN the opinion of the COM
mission, will more completely fill the
needs Of the people Of the county than
that now furnished and no difnculty
Is anticipated in having the changes
approved by the State Corporation
Commission.
Between now and December the tele-
phone users Of both counties will have
the opportunity Of changing the class
of service they now receive IL they so
desire, full explanation Of each serv-
ice being available at the local Offices
of the telephone company.
In the Hyattsville and Capitol
Heights, Nd, exchanges, where the only
change Is in the furnishing Of optional
''local-to-WaBhington service, the new
rates will be $3.50 monthly for business