The Washington times., 1912-08-25
IN LOCAL FINANCIAL CIRCLES
BY I. A. FLEMING.

In many ways IL is better to have one
public utility system rather than two or
| more. II is easier for a municipality
to secure concessions for privileges
granted where there is one head to
| represent the utilities than where there
are several.
OF all the useless nuisances the dou-
| BILE telephone system, although operated
in many cities, is the very worst. 1t in
| ficts double expenses on those who
must be within call at all times. makes
| two phones in business office and in
| a home practically a necessity.
1t may sometimes be used to whip a
| too Independent corporation into inc,
| but the expense comes on. the people
! of the city, who would be better Off
without the lesson. ana could better af-
ford to stand the evils that they have
rather than the added costs of double
telephone tolls
One corporation has frequently man
aged. and Washington needs no infor-
nation as to particulars, to make it de-
cidedly interesting In the matter of tolls,
even for the largest service, and press
ing for the plain people who would use
a phone two or three times day to or
from modest home.
Washington is better off than the two
phone cities, and even lower tolls should
not warrant the admission of second
company.
One of these days, mayhap, before the
people know 1t. there will be one trac-
ton company in Washington. and with
that day will come universal transfers.
more lines. more cars, and a practical
railroad man to stand between the COM
puny and the lawmakers, yielding and
taking. for the benefit of the people and
the shareholders
But when 1t comes 1t will come through
the enactment of Congress on an order
to get together.
An effort was made a year or "a little
longer ago to bring about the consolida-
ton, but met with no encouragement
on the part of one corporation. Since
then the stock OF the other has ad-
vanced many points and become very
strong In tn emarket.
Even owners Of gold mines have been
known to sell them.
And the day will come when this
union will be effected, to the great
benefit of every citizen of Washington
and the shareholders of the traction
companies.
Congress ought to force 1t in the in
terest OF the people.
Washington has about as much use
for two telephone systems as 1t has for
two gas corporations.
The existing muddle between the mi
nority shareholders of the Georgetown
Gas Company and the directors of the
Washington Gas Company, owner of
the majority of the Georgetown stock,
ought to lead to a compromise and one
gas company.
Washington is not a large city. Rock
Creek pretty stream, a rocky path
way to the river for drainage purposes,
divides the territory of a very modest
$4,000 population city between two gas
corporations.
Georgetown is memory. a section of
the city dear to the old-timers. The
Georgetown Gas Company has never
been much Of moneymaker. probably
never will be, within the next twenty
years, with apologies to some of G. G.
Co. directors.
But the Georgetown Gas Company
does own a franchise beyond Rock
Creek. Therein is It's value.
Stock that showed on the records of
the Exchange in 1908 to the extent of
203 shares at 65 to 81. in 1909 469 shares
at Sc 1-2 to go, and in 1910, 70 shares at
65 to 60, has been pushed up recently to