The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-21
Members of Congress
Must Understand State
ment to Be Filed in
February.
FCOnsun1er Writes to The
Times, Telling of Mis-
treatment bV the
Company.

The Washington and Georgetown Gas
Companies, composing the Gas Mo
ncpoly of this city, are understood to
have practically completed the annual
reports Of their operations FOR 1907,
which under the law are required 10 be
submitted to Congress on or before Feb
ruary 1.
If these reports. when laid before
Congress, are found To he drafted for
the especial purpose Of conceaiing and
misleading, as were TIE reports made in
December, there is going 20 be trouble
in Congress without delay.
Senator la Toilette. ~ho secured an
'Snsertion In the law requiring these con-
Germs to make annual reports of theiC
business, and Congressman Madden,
who has taken a leading part IN the
House fight for cheaper gas, are both
satisfied that the December reports Of
both gas companies did not comply with
The requirements of the law. aud that
the companies have no intention OF
making ineligible reports,
Must Obey the Law.
They are waiting to see what will be
presented in the February report, and If
II proves a. unsatisfactory and as far
law as did the report OF December 4,
there viii be prompt steps 10 compel
obedience II the law.
The Times submitted the December
report of the washington Gas Light
Company 10 two experts IN municipal
accounting systems. and asked them IL
they could gel from it any satisfactory
idea OF the condition of the business o.
finances of the concerns. The text OF
the law, passed a year ago, under which
the reports were made, was submitted
along with the copies OF the reports,
and the experts were asked u ia their
opinion the reports represented Substan-
tial compliance with the Law, also.
whether, If these reports met the law 3
requirement. the law could be regarded
as OF any use.
Reports Displeasing.
After examining the law and the re-
ports. both these experts expressed the
opinion that the reports did not comply
with the law. They pointed out that
&he December reports, which are sup
Alosed tC cover the business for the year
as06 as well as the conditions of the
accounts At that time would permit,
might be incomplete and unsatisfactory
nv reason of the unsatisfactory book
keeping process employed. But for the
later than February !. 1858, the cOmpd-
mics had notice TO adjust their aC-
counting methods so that they could
comply with the new law; and failure
at that time 10 make reports which will
set forth, in intelligent and intelli-
gible form, the matters demanded by
the law, viii be regarded by the friends
of the report law as inexcusable.
Representative Madden declared his
purpose to take steps for some inves-
Iigation OF the Gas MonOpOlys failure
TO make a report as required by the
law. Senator La Toilette took the same
position. saying that the law was in
tended 10 produce information, not 20
be juggled with. and that II II was not
tain whether there was power 10 en-
force obedience.
At present matters are in abeyance,
awaiting the February report. II when
Il Is sent 10 Congress- it proves unsat-
isfactory and fails 10 comply with the
intent Of the law then 1t is probable
tnat resolutions VIII be presented In
Congress, directing the proper authori-
ties to start legal proceedings to en-
force the act.
The reports which were made in De
cemher caused no surprise 10 people
familiar with the Gas AIonopoly's con
tempt for law and lecal procedure
forced to do 50, the Gas Monopoly would
make an honest and Understandable pre-
sentatiOn Of its business, so that the
public might realize just what its con-
dition is
The point is that there ere people wh-
now propose 10 see that even the Gas
Monopoly obeys the laws; and there
will be trouble. prompt and pointed II
fCouffrr1aT or, Ga-o7- D,-,N