The Washington times., 1910-04-13

! you ConcluSiTely that 4 mas fenue4e u
{ coed service and is-in cry way worthy
/ and wen qualified be accepted ana
! received * faithful steward. ] have
! systematically under AIKEN 70 give the
widest possible publhity possible IN zoe
{ premises to the proceedings IN question
/ I cheerf ally take the responsibility IN
I VOWED. - fun assurance that the com
mittee and the public, when the matter
/ is understood, VIII appreciate and ap-
prove or this policy
The Chairrnan-Are you ready to be
questioned now
Mr.. GoldsborouEh-I am always ready,
sir.
J Mr.. Coudrev-As I stated the last time.
/ speaking for myself as one OF the nine
; teen members of the committee OF
/ course YOU have read the resolution and
3 YOU know what IL is Instead Of having
[ a doctor dTst and then the undertake.
we have the undertaken first ana tne-i
! the doctor. not wishing 10 cast any re
iectious on DR.. Humphreys " nat mr
want TO GET al is how to prevent TINS,
: instead OF waiting until after the WhoiS
I thing is over. we want 10 kho" IN
I order 10 pass on t1is resolution lhI tes-.L-
/ gently whether the property IS making
! excessive profits. Now, you take tne
/ resolution which simply says tnat u
prohibits YOU from doing certain Things:
] rs there any objection or the part OF
Z the Gas Company to the resolution
/ Nj GOldsbOrOuEh-WeIl, there IS TINS
{ objection to the resolution Ot course
; the gas company IS one Of a large num-
q -.
/ III Washington. II IS entitled. unless ~
has so far forfeited its rights that II
ought to be penglized by laC-it Il en-
f titled 90 precisely the same COnSiQeI-
alton that is accorded 10 every other
{ pubIic-Service corporation ana every
I other Individual It's constitutional
rights are precisely similar to theirs IN
( every respect. Among them Is that
! right 10 the free and uninterrupted use
and enjoyment OF its property Of which
g it ought not 20 be, cannot be deprived
Of nd
I VIII argue. when we come 10 discuss the
/ law of the cas-. that this act j. clearly
! unconstitutional
AR. Coudrev-RiEnt there. For in
stance, gu speak about other. CoTpOT-
ations 50 Tar That is concerned,
/ speaking for myself as long as / am
I a member of this committee, I viii
! feel II my duty TO do anything I prop
erIy can
Afr Goldsbcrough-I am sure Of that.
MIR CNudrey (cOntinuing@-To protect
! the people of the District in so far as
my power lies, 70 see that they get what
is due them from any corporation on
: The other hand we are here for the DUR
pose OF doing what Is right by the cor
{ pOrations. What -+e want to do first is
10 ind out whether this resolution
ought TO pass or not and then we v-ill
take up the other corporations That Is
my intention Speaking TO this Tesolu-
tiOn-Dr Hpmphreys there is none of
us who. as ] have said before. under
esJlma ties his abiliTy-RSve Us great
. I learned
more about the gas business IN the Iasi
Two weeks than ! have in all my life
before but Dr. Humphreys did not cet
down 90 the resolution. a. I under
stand It, and his remarks were. there
fore not relevant In ms opinion.
M GoldsborouEh-I want 10 say 20
you gentlemen, that, OF course. I. ap-
UTecIate the fact that YOU are here
Z with the utmost integrity and good
faith, seeking 10 bod the scales fairly
{ between the company and the people.
do not question d Tor a moment. bu1
al the same time We are here, put upon
our defense nF general Indictment
which -1ntsiuS- as I said IN the opening.
no counts. but which is supposed to De
/ TndefeHs bic upon the ground that the
company has not dealt fairly with the
people that its charges are excessive.
and that its profits are unusual II not
abnormal NOW DO Is absolutely eS-
/ sentisl for us or was essential for rs
as 7 conceived It. 20 GiS1DuSe YOU
minds Of that impression in order TO Eer
fairly down 10 the real merits Of the
case
AIr- Coudrey-I want TO interrupt sou
right there The resolution was intro
duced I'm good faith BY myself
Mr. Goldsooroush-I fully appreciate
that
.Mr. Coadrey-Tae fact that Ar Hum
nlreys uid not give US The Information
which We wanted makes me believe the Z
the gas company has made abnormal
profits That Was the only thing lnC
Doctor did not seem 20 know ana
as
. ton because think ne IS q gas eN-
Pe~t.- 7 think he Is good one II ]
needed one 7 would send Tor him uEht
now and employ him but when u
came down 10 the books Of the com
peny as go the amount or money that
3 in the business or has neen put IN.
and how much has, been earned the
Doctor could not answer those questions,
and think the only person TO anSwer
those questions Is somebody who IS
Intimately connect-& with the corpora
ar CoTdsborouEh-If the COMMITTEES
please. the first step in this case IS the
I compauy-S ststems-- and that is here Do
evidence as the found alton OF the com
paUy-s defense Prima facie % Is com
ulete defense The company states th'
value or its property which lS the cniN
thing that can be legally considered
when you come 10 estimate the measure
OF he returns which the company is en-
titled to earn. and distribute Further
there j. I'm evidence and unChailenged
unimpes Ched statements Of the actua
Z amount OF earnings Of the company fo
. he past year. OF course, the statenen
only covers one year We bring Dr.
Humphreys here because he is cOmpe
tent 10 say whether the earnings tina
. our statement disclOses are truly stated
whether they are correctly computed
and whether the estimates and valUa
tiOuS therein contained are reaSOnabl
and proper and that Is veTifCatiOn
Now he Is brought here to satisfy YOU
subject IL has many -amthcations. man.
gentlemen Of the committee have cHl,
general knowledge Of Il and very mea gr
knowledge AT that, and i seemed 70 b.
{ necessary that the subject should be u
Illuminated By the testimony Of sr en-
Eineer Of the highest reputation We couh
find
When I come to argue the case
think 7 can satisfy the committee be
yond any doubt whatever that the rates
charged are reasonable, that gas in
stead Of being expensive in the Distric
OF Columbia is really the cheapest thing
in the ma ket- that il Is the only neces
sary Of lac that has been constantly
going down in price for fifty years
while everything else has been sd
b vsuCing, and that II IS even relatively
cheaper here than water There i
nothing in the condition of the com
pauy. in its treatment OF the people, II
the charges that have been broush
against il &c justify its being penalizeS
. oy anybody Whatever its rights are
? thev are the rights which are guaran
teed To IL by the Constitution of TIT
a United States. and 7 have any numbe1
- o. autEorifieS-
( Ar. COudrey-Wo YOU be bette
satisfied II this resolution applied 70 al
public corporations in the District O
Columbia
Mr. CoIdsH0rcush-It could not b.