Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-05
HEARING ON JENKINS Bill
PRICE OF ELECT11C LIGHT DIS
GUESSED By COMMITTEE.
No Qns Present to Speak in Favor
of Measure-aiven IN Ad-
verse Report.

a hearing on the bill. introduced by Repre-
sentative Jenkins Of Wisconsin February
5. which provides for q reduction in the
maximum price Of electric current fur
nished consumers in the District from 10
to cents per kilowat hour, and for the
appointment Of an inspector OF electric
meters. While the committee met with
the expectation of having a hearing on
the bill. 1t turned ont that there wasn't
anybody to hear except Gen. George II.
Harries of the Potomac Electric Power
Company and several other omcials OF
that corporation.
Chairman Smith Of the District commit
tee. discovering that there was nobody
interested affirmatively In the measure.
wondered audibly where Mr.. Jenkins. the
author Of the bill, might happen to BE-
Gen. Harries said Mr. Jenkins had t s,la
bill. he had done 1t at the request OF a
man whose name he could not remember
Mr.. jenkins told Gen. Harries. accord
ing to the latter. that the man who gave
him the bill to introduce was an appli-
cant for the position for meter inspector
created under 1t.
Mr.. Cary Wants to Know.
About this time Representative Cary OF
Wisconsin came in and announced that
although the reduction bill wasn't his,
he would ask a couple of questions.
In reply to Mr.. Cary's query as to how
the rate in the District compared with
other cities Of comparatively the same
population Gen. Harries said that Al.
their current for 10 cents per kilowat
hour, consumers in Milwaukee had to pay
IL cents and Detroit 16in Cleveland Ign,
in Toledo Il and In Chicago 10, In this
-
In Columbus Ohio. the price was cents
but the Columbus Electric Light Com
pany got its coal for .35 a ton, as COM
pared with $3.50 here. The general also
showed that in some Of the cities where
the price was higher than washington
the electric light companies bought their
coal cheaper than the Potomac Electric
Power Company.
Gen. Harries also said that although
the rate to the consumer here was 10
If a consumer used more than 80 hours.
He also said that the company made
varying contracts for large quantities OF
electricity, some summer contracts liking
a price as low as ~ cents kilowat hour.
Taking the aggregate business OF the
over AZ cents a kilowat hour.
At this point several members Of the
committee asserted that as no one had
appeared in favor Of the bill it was silly
little discussion this view seemed to
strike all the members as reasonable.
Then after some more discussion Mr.. Tay-
lor put a formal motion that the commit
tee discontinue the consideration Of the
Jenkins bill,
The Commissioners Report.
"Oh. don't put it that way" cried Mr..
Murphy Of Wisconsin. IF you do the
paper here will say that the committee
was favorable to the electric light COM
pany and against the people. Besides.
I'd like to know moro about this. Where
is the Commissioners report on 1t. any
how"
At the direction of Chairman Smith
Mr.. Miller, the clerk Of the committee,
brought out the report and began to read
1t. but was interrupted by Mr.. Murphy.
who remarked that he did not think the
officers of the electric light company
should hear the contents Of the report
until the committee had seen II. In
making this statement Mr.. Murphy prob
ably was not aware that the report In
question had been printed in the local
papers three weeks ago. The Commits
sioners recommended adversely on the
Jenkins bill. suggesting that instead Of It
the Commissioners be authorized to fix
the rate for electric current to local con.
sumers.
Then Mr.. Taylor moved that the COM
mittee rise" and this was done, leaving
the Jenkins bill up in the air. with no
prospect Of an immediate defense.