Evening star., 1913-11-13
Complete Access to Books.

As the matter stands, the commission is
to have complete access to books and
official papers of the company, and this is
precisely what it requires in order to be
in position to determine fairly whether
or not there conditions connected
with the management of the company
that should be the subject OF rigid in
vestigation.
In consenting to inspect the books pri-
vate4y :he commission but adopted a rule
OF practice which is foioWed uy the inter-
state commerce commission IN similar
cases. Undoubtedly. this pan VIII eX-
peulte tne whoie matter anu enable the
board to get at the facts with less DIM
Gully and IN much shorter time.
uousH oi u y. ell4li.4Is,ly ak informal
character, the lnqu.ly Is To be an eA-
naustlNe one An luea of the extent OF
the inquiry can be gathered IRON the
long list of books recorQS and paLe.S
Col poratlon Counsel Syme has dir &c -ea
the company to furnish. Mr.. SyIne al
yesterdays hearing, left no room for
doubt as to the character of inlorna-
tion desired by the board, but rattIeu
IL off in such lapid-nre manner ina,
the official s,enoSrapners had difficulty
neep.ng up with him.
ALI Details to Be Examined.
He was most emphatic in making il
clear that the examination would deal in
detail with all of the affairs of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
and that the decision to examine the
books behind closed doors was a maj
ter of grace on the part of the COM
mission. and not of Fight on the part
of the comuany.
His question. progounded to President
King of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company as to whether or not
the roads and property of the comp any
was not practically the same property
that was bought In under foreclosure pro
ceedings at Norfolk, Va, about the year
1909 at $5.0OO,0OO, is believed to indicate
that the commission has been looking UP
the value placed upon the company S
property at that time.
Asks for Old Records.
Mr.. Syme also asked Vice President W.
+. Ham whether or not the Washington
Railway and Electric Company had in its
possession the records of the old Metro
poltan company and the old Colum bian
Railway Company, and whether these
records would show the earning capacity
of these companies and their value at the
time the first amaigamation was made
with the predecessor of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, which
was originally known as the Washington
Traction and Electric Company
The latter corporation. it was stated,
was organized under the laws of Virginia
and was the holding company of the
stocks and bonds of the Metropolitan. Co
lumbia, Belt Line. the Anacostia and Po-
tomac, the Georgetown and TenleytoWn
the Brightwood. the United States Elec-
tric Light Company and the Potomac
Electric Power Company. the property OF
all of which is represented by the stock
held by the holding company, and was
foreclosed in the circuit court of the
United States ut Norfolk. Va, by the
pany, and bought III for a little over
i s., ,0OO,VOo
Will Air Transactions,
The information called for by Mr..
Syme includes also all of the transactions
of the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. not only as to it's ownership
| OF the stock of the Potomac Electric
| Power Company, but all transactions be-
| tween the Potomac Electric Light Com
pany and the Washington Railway and
Electric Company as to power furnished
| to the Washington Railway and Elect ic
| Company. and through il to its subsid-
/ iary companies. and the cost of the same
| and also all revenues. all income de-
| rived by the Washington Railway and
| Electric Company from the sac of cleo
| tric power to its subsidiary companies or
| private consumers.
The Information required will also cover
| the details OF the present reciprocal
4 ansfer arrangements among the lines Of
1.-The w Ellington Railway and Electric