Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-13
OF WITNESSES
BEFORE THE GAS HEARING
Counsel Goldsborough Explains Why Expert Was
Called In to Substantiate Statements of
Public Service Corporation.

Hon. Samuel W. smith, chairman. pre-
! siding.
STATEMENT OF WILLIAM F. HART
SUPERINTENDENT, WASHINGTON
GAS LIGHT COMPANY.
/ Mr.. Coudrey-You are the superin'
tendent Of the gas company?
| Mr.. Hart-Yes, sir.
! Mr.. Coudrey-How long have you peer
| the superintendent?
| Mr.. Hart-Since 1905.
| Mr., Coudrey-Have you read the resolu-
ton pending before the committee?
Mr.. Hart-No. sir; l have glanced over
It.
Mr.. Coudrey-I think you had better
| read it; it is very short. That is the SUBJ
| ject we have before us.
| Mr.. Hart-I do not know blessed thing
| about 1t, all / have to do is the super
vision of the street work, the physica
part of the work.
Mr.. Coudrey-Who asked you to come
here?
Mr.. Hart-Mr Goldsborough asked me
to come here He did not know whether
or not I would be called. He asked me
| to come, however.
Mr.. Coudrey-Do you know ANYTHING
about the finances of the company?
Mr. Hart-Nothing at all
| Mr.. Coudrey-Read the resolution over
and then I think you better have a seal
until Mr.. Godsborough comes You say
that you do not know anything about the
! finances of the company?
| Mr.. Hart-Nothing at ALL
MIR. Coudrey-You are the general man
| ager of the company?
Mr.. Hart-That is misnomer: there is
no such office as general manager.
Mr.. Coudrey-What is your position
Mr.. HartI am the superintendent
| Mr.. Coudrey-Of WHAT
| Mr.. Hart-The distribution, the street
work, other than the manufacture of gas
| Mr.. Wiley-You are the outdoor superin-
| tendent?
| Mr. Hart-Yes sir
Mr.. Coudrey-You do not know any.
thing about the finances of the company
Mr.. Hart-No. sir. I have charge OF
| the laying of the pipes. etc.
| Mr.. Coudrey-You have read the reso-
| luton?
Mr.. Hart-Yes, sir, but I cannot throw
any light on it.
Mr.. Coudrey-You better have a seat
| until Mr.. Goldsborough comes.
| Mr.. RothermeI-WhO is the man who
has charge of manufacturing the gas?
! Mr.. Hart-Mr. James s. McIlhenny.
| Mr.. Rothermel-All right.
| The Chairman-Are there any other of
| the officers here?
Mr.. Hart-I do not see any, Mr.. Chair
| man.
The Chaipman-Mr. Goldsborough, we
| Hart and we have been waiting for you.
| Mr.. Goldsborough-I thank you. l have
been expecting Mr.. Whitwell.
| Mr.. Coudrey-Who is he?
| Mr.. Goldsborough-The assistant secre-
| tary.
The Chairman-we can hear him after
| we have heard you and not wait.
(, Statement of Mr.. r. Fl. Goldsborough,
general counsel, Washington Gas Light
Company:
| Mr.. Goldsborough-There is brief
statement that l want to make which /
| had prepared and intended to make sat
I the last hearing and which, if the COM
mittee please, L will make now.
! Mr.. Coudrey-As ! understand, you are
| a director in the company?
! Mr.. Goldsborough-Yes, sir.
Mr.. Coudrey-You are not an officer of
| the company?
! Mr.. Goldsborough-Yes, sir; general
| counsel.
Mr.. Chairman and GentIemen-If the
committee please. before calling a new
witness I should be glad to make state
| nent in relation to certain more or less
| unpleasant criticisms, that l was debar-
red from making at the previous hearing
by the rules established by the commit
tee for the conduct of the case.
The first reflection that I think should
no longer go unchallenged was substan-
TALLY embraced in, this inquiry
Why is it that the company comes here
to inform the committee by an expert
what it's profits are and what is the ao-
tual value of it's property upon which
the reasonableness of its profits are to
be determined?
Looking at the subject calmly and fair
~, it goes without saying, does 1t not,
that if the company's statement already
in evidence is to be accepted as estab-
fishing a prima facie case there is no
need of any further testimony here other
than corroboratiye evidence verifying or
tending to verify the calculations and
valuations. Obviously I could not rea-
sonably expect you to be satisfied as to
such q vital matter. with mere repeti-
tons of the companys own attestations
In the nature of things. confederation
must come from without.
Now, DR.. Humphreys was selected
from without from among other emf
nent disinterested engineers and exr
perts to corroborate and verify the
company's statement, which Is. of
the following reasons:
First because he has been for many
years-at least a third of a century
personally familiar with the property
Second, because in 1898 he was selected
by the purchasers of what is nov
known as the Washington Railway ana
Electric Company to appraise the prop
erty of the gas companies for their use
about to enter upon. looking to the
purchase of these properties also. Dr..
Humphreys made a thorough examina
| ton at that time and appraised the
property of the Washington Gas Light
Company for the purchasers at price
| a rprcximating $4,000, 00O-a price which
! the purchasers, hrelying upon his ap-
pra isaL were willing to pay for it.
which, in fact. they would have bought
| it for had not the stockholders declined
Since that appraisement of twelve years
ago Dr. Humphreys has made at least
two similar appraisals. one of them
only two years since; all OF which. of
| course, qualities him in higher de-
gree to testify here Of his own knowl
| edge than any other engineer could
have done whom we might have brought
before you for that purpose.
But that was not the main reason for
our choice. The companies that I have
| the honor to represent sincerely desired
| to present to the committee witness
whose previous record in work of this
| character is such as to entitle his find
| ings to a higher degree of credit than
| would have attached to those of any
servant of the company in its regular
| employment, or to the conclusions of
anybody, without exception. whose serv
ices could have been made use of by the
| company under the circumstances-for
| two reasons: % Because there was
not time enough for any other engineer
Ito make a complete appraisement be
fore the adjournment Of Congress, and
t2) because DR.. Humphreys is person
| ally we'll known to several members of
| the committee and has been certified To
| every member upon 1t in previous in
| vestigation by gentlemen whose infor-
nation on the subject and whose judc
| ment in regard to the same cannot oy
| any possibility be questioned or denied
by anybody, anywhere.
Now in proof of this broad assertion, l
beg to refer the committee to the testi-
mony of Mr.. Madden, recorded in hear
he NoS AN