Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-25
HEARING ON GAS ACT FUTILE
COMPANY'S COUNSEL ILL, ARGU.
MENT PUT OFF.
No Progress Toward Repeal of In
hation Clause-Committte
men Tardy.

| The violently emotional and deeply
| sympathetic attitude of the House Dis
| trict committee toward matters affecting
| the interests of the people of the Dis
| trict of Columbia was demonstrated
! again today. when quorum of the COM
! mittee failed to show up at the hearing.
| set for 10 o'clock. on the bill to repeal
| section I-the stock-infiation clause-of
| the gas act.
At the hour set for the hearing to be-
gin Representatives Smith of. Michigan,
| chairman of the committee: Philip Camp
| bell Murphy. the sOnOrouS-voiced states
man from the cyclone belt, and ThetGS
Wilrette Sims OF Tennessee were the only
members on the spot. Corporation Coun-
sci Thomas Commissioners Mcfarland
Supt W. T.. Hart of the Washington
Gas Light Company and several repre-
SentatiVeS of citizens associations were
| also on hand.
After fooliny away an hour in an
animated hut not highly instructive dis
cuSsion of the state of the weather and
the proba bic production in the alfalfa belt.
the commit ee-or the small fragment of
il on handkerchief to cut loose and have
the hearing anyway. Later in the morn
ing MeSsrS. Kahn of California and Tay-
lor of Ohio came in and remained until
adjournment. dutiful, but bored.
Gas Counsel Ill.
Mr. Hart told the committee that 2. II.
Go.dsborough, who was to have made the
argument for the gas company, was quite
i'll at his home and would be unable to
appear for probably a couple of weeks.
Chairman Smith expressed his regret, as
it had been intended to let Mr.. Goldsbor-
ough and Corporation Counsel Thomas
thresh out before the committee this
morning the matter of the repeal of sec
ton five. Mr.. Sims expressed some dis
SatiSfaCt with the idea of waiting two
more long weeks for committee action on
the repeal bill and asked Mr.. Hart if the
gas company didn't have another lawyer
who could make the argument at once.
Mr.. Hart said. however. that Mr.. Colds
borough had prepared his argument. and
so the committee tentatively decided to
wait for Mr.. Goldsborough's recovery.
Corporation Counsel Thomas then re
viewed. in brief, the gas act. section . OF
which it is desired to repeal. He mem
toned that section ) had been inserted in
the act by the Senate and was passed
upon threat of this or nothing
Corporation Counsel's Views.
MY opposition to section :" said Mr..
Thomas lis based on the fact that no
fair hearing can be given under this sec
| ton it now stands, to anybody opposed
to an increase in the stock of the gas
company, and If the good will. etc. be in
corpOrated in the valuation. the price
fixed in this act may become too low to
pay. upon the increased capitalization.
what the courts would agree to be d fair
and Just return to which each and every
public service corporation IS entitled.
Mr.. Thomas criticised the use of the
| word plant in the act. saying that this
word, used, was entirely ambiguous.
He thought Congress never intended in
| using this word to mean that the franchise
of the gas company should be valued
! in appraising the plant The act did
not say so. The report made under order
| of the court. however, following the ac-
| ton of the Georgetown gas company in
| taking steps to increase its capital stock.
undoubtedly valued the franchise, good
| will. etc, Mr.. Thomas said
| Mr.. Thomas then went into an extended
| legal argument in support of the conten-
| ton of the District government for the
repeal of section ).
Mr.. Macfarland's Statement
Commissioner mcfarland appcaret-at
the invitation of the committee. He
confined himself TO arguments in favor
of the repeating of section of the
code Of law, which repeal was recon-
mended by the Commissioners in the
form OF a bill several months ago.
In speaking of the necessity Of n re-
duction in the price OF gas. MI. Macfar-
land said: The Commissioners repre-
sent the District government, the larg-
est consumer of gas in the District of
Columbia, with about 1900 gas lamps,
consuming about $4,000 worth of gas
per annum at the present rates, also
they represent the private consumers
of gas and the community generally.
We favor reduction in the price of
gas to a point that will be reasonable
both to the corporations and the con-
sumers and want this section repealed
lest the proceedings under it may make
that reduction difficult impracti
cable: we want this repeal before vest
ed rights in increased stock are OBJ
tanned.