Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-03
Hotels Witnesses
Attempt 10 Justify
Telephone Charges
Utilities Commissioner
Learns Of Scent Booth
In Willard for First Time
By WILLIAM j. WHEATLEY.

BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEf.
Hotels make no charge for guests
incoming local calls even though
1t was conceded considerable service
must be given in handling the calls,
hotel representatives testified today
IN hearings of the Federal Commu-
nications Commission and the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commission on
surcharges imposed on outgoing
telephone calls.
L. Gardiner Moore, manager OF
the Shoreham Hotel; Charles l..
Hutchinson, manager of the Capital
Park Hotel, and Arthur j. Harnett,
executive secretary of the Hotel As
ISOLATION of Washington, testified
on telephone charges made by the
hotels and the. services rendered
which, in their opinion, justifies the
supercharge.
But Lloyd B. Harrison, counsel for
the Public Utilities Commission,
brought out on cross-examination OF
Mr.. Moore that a great deal OF sec
retarial service is necessary In ham
ding incoming calls, such as paging
guests and visitors and giving them
messages. Mr.. Moore conceded the
ratio of incoming to outgoing calls
is three to one.
Questioned on Service.
Questioned on special service pro-
vided in the lobby of the Willard
Hotel, Mr.. Moore classified it as
de luxe service maintained by the
hotel, which relieved a telephone
user from sitting in a booth and
dialing his own number, or waiting
there If it was a long-distance call
However, 1t was testified, that there
is a coin box telephone in the lobby
connected directly with the central
exchange, on which the regular
tariff obtains.
Attorney Joseph c. McGarraghy
for the hotel association, said that
there was a large sign at the space
where the telephones are located
notifying the public that local calls
are 10 cents. Commissioner Gregory
Hankin OF the Utilities Commission
interrupted to say that he had made
many calls through the facilities at
the Willard for which he had paid
10 cents and that today he learned
for the first time there Is a scent
booth.
Transients Pay 10 Cents.
Transient guests at the Shoreham
pay the 5 cents additional charge
for the local calls, Mr.. Moore said
whereas permanent guests pay only
5 cents. But he added that the lat
ter pay q monthly service charge OF
SITS. of which so cents is for rental
an the instrument, Is cents for direc-
tory listing and 81 to the hotel for
service.
On long-distance calls, guests pay
10 per cent OF the cost OF the call
with a scent minimum and 81
maximum service charge.
Mr.. Moore was uncertain whether
the 10 per cent surcharge was only
on the telephone tariff rate, or
whether 1t also included 10 per
cent on the Federal tax. However,
he said he thought that 10 per cent
also was added to the tax. He as
serted that the hotel absorbed the
tax on local calls. A scent charge
also Is made on long distance calls
on which the charges are reversed,
he said.
Mr.. McGarraghy told the COM
mission yesterday that, in his opin-
ion. it did not have the power to reg
ulate the rates charged by hotels for
special telephone service, because
the matter had been placed by Con-
gress in the Jurisdiction Of the Rent
Control Administrator. In answer
to Commissioner Walker, he said
that the hotels were not in the tele-
phone business, but that it is sec
retarial service which they render
and for which they make the addi-
tional charge now under investiga-
ton.