Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27
Utilities Commission Not Ready
to Consider Gas, Telephone
and Electric Companies.
WORK ON THE ESTIMATES
FOR THE DISTRICT NEEDS
Report to Be in the Hands of Treas
ury Secretary by
October Is.

Washington consumers may not look
| for reductions in their gas, telephone
and electric light bills for two years
or more, for it will require. it Is said.
| at least that amount Of time before the
public utilities commission will be in
position to order any changes in the
| rates charged by public service corpora
tions operating in the District of Co
! lumbia.
The Commissioners will include in
the estimates now being framed an
item to cover the expense of making
valuation of the properties Of the
various local public utilities. While
request may be made to have this pro-
vision of the act become Immediately
effective, 1t probably will be late next
spring before the Districts budget
shall have been passed by Congress.
while at least year will be required.
it Is estimated. for making the pro-
posed valuations.
1t is understood that the District heads
have recently received from the firm of
Ford. Bacon e Davis Of New York an
estimate as to the amount of money that
will be required for establishing the val
uatons. Commissioner Harding, chair
man of the utilities commission, stated
that he was not at liberty to disclose the
approximate amount that may be re-
quired for this. purpose. He said that
the commission will not attempt to go
into the question of rates charged by
local public service corporations until It
has arrived at a definite understanding
as to the physical worth of the properties
of the various concerns
One Possible Exception.
one exception, however, may be made
in the case of taxicab companies 1t
would be a comparatively easy task for
the commission. with funds now at it's
disposal. to get a line on the value of the
property of the taxi concerns. and, If 1t
decides that it has jurisdiction over these
companies, it will proceed at once to an
investigation of taxicab rates.
The commission probably will arrive
at decision early next week concerning
it's jurisdiction over taxicab companies.
The new board of Commissioners today
brought to close it's first week of active
work on the preparation of the District
estimates for the fiscal year to begin
July 1 next. With more than s14OO0,OO0
available for improvements-the amount
being approximately million and half
dollars in excess of that Of any previous
year-the board has more gigantic task
on its hands than any of it's kind that
ever faced a previous board OF Commits
siOners
So far, the municipal authorities have
Deen working only on the personnel
feature of the estimates and have not
begun consideration of improvements
which Congress may be asked to provide
for. They are checking over the names
of all employees of the local government
and 1t is considered probable that salary
increases will be ordered in number Of
instances
Estimates Receive Attention.
The Commissioners go into session
daily at IL o'clock am. for the purpose
Of considering the estimates, and have
an afternoon session, which frequently
lasts until o'clock AS the budget is
required to be in the hands Of the Sec
retary of the Treasury by not later than
October Is, night sessions probably will
be in order. beginning with next week
as the Commissioners will have but
little time in which to complete the
task.
While the budget-framing job is one
that is conducted behind closed DOORS
there are numerous indications to the
effect that complete co-oDeration is
marking the efforts Of the District heads
| to prepare the estimates SO that they
will best meet the needs of the munich
pality.
So absorbed are the Commissioners in
the work that they have adopted the
practice Of lunching daily In one Of
the rooms composing the office suite of
Commissioners Siddons. The room has
been provided with buffet luncheon
facilities, including an electric stove on
which coffee is made for the officials by
Commissioner Siddons' messenger
The commissioners usually take no
more than three,quarters Of an hour
| work on the, estimates with as little
| delay as possible