The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-11-19

Fl E ELING INTELLI.
ings in estimating Investment total.
requested a schedule OF all operative
leases held by the company whether
for gas or for oil Judge Nesbitt ar
gued that the gas consumers should
not be charged rates that will insure
a return on the oil and gas invest
ments OF the company combined. He
stated that he felt IL no more than
Just that they should have definite IN
formation from the company as 10
It's investment upon which IL was en-
titled 10 a fair return from the gas
consumers.
Wanted TO Please.
Counsel Well entered very strenu-
Gus objections to this request. stating
that IT was not right TO impose this
work upon the Office forces OF his
client. and that in his opinion the In
formation was non-essential. He
took great care TO emphasize that
the company was only furnishing the
information through their desire to
please the commission. which he
claimed at the present time had no
power to rule against the proposed
hAA'AftAHFs NAt EsAhAt UFN Onu
jurisdiction. He indirectly let IL be
known that even II II was proved that
the capital stock OF the company on
which the dividend had been declared
was found 10 be as low as s15.OoO.O0O
instead OF the reported SIS 1850. 253 %.
II would be immaterial. He stated
that until IL was shown that the pro-
posed Increase was unjust. uneqult-
able and unwarranted By law. he did
not consider II proper 10 GO into the
details as 10 how the inventory OF
the company's assest had been made.
In answer TO Mr.. Well. Judge Ne>hitt
stated that IL the witness was unwilling
Of his sworn statement it's value would
! be very questionable. In ruling on the
question. COMMISSIONS ogden urged
that everything possible be done TO IA
cihtate matters IN bringing the hearing
20 "A close. In view Of this. he stated
have the inquiry proceed IN a general
way into the history Of the corporation.
( IT, in This way, watered stock or other
irregularities are discovered. II may
then not 2e necessary TO go into the de-
Before tho close Of the afternoons
session, commissioner ogden questioned
the witness very closely on the way in
. 20 both Industrial and domestic con
slmers was hNed. and why there was a
, charged the two classes OF consumers.
Cost OF Service Pipes.
At the beginning Of the Cross-evarnl-
hAti9n there was considerable discussion
on the question OF the estimated cost OF
the service pipes. which made up "A
count. Il was brought ont that during
ue past three years there had been no
Old and WORKOUT pipes. Mr. Sullivan ali
not know to what account the replace
a - 80
Ilalnuns 70 the records on file at Pitts
burgh- He was also unable TO say how
West Virginia XII told idie the ef iafo.m a.
ton Cleaned from this questioning was
how much pipe had been laid by his
company as distinguished from that ac-
guiTed by purchase.
W hen questioned as 20 the building
account the witness again showed yerv
little knowledge Of just what the nc
count he asserted to he corr,ct GOV
cred. He could not tell what the build
mss covered 10y the account were. and
war forced TO appeal 20 Treasurer Rad
CINE and Counsel Wei to explain FOR
II was also brought to light that the
: furniture ana fixtures account. which
based on q general estimate made AZ
the headquarters OF the company ana
not on an actual inventory made ia
was located.
values Not FIXED.
JUST now IN" value of the regulators
was fixed was also uukuwou 10 NJ.
sullivan He stated that such matters
were lett entirely IN the hands or the
men on tho grounds and were not at
The material on hand which was es-
tmAted al $4,000. was explained away
n the same manner. It being stated
mat the men In charge Of the store
houses. etc, had fun charge ~ the In
/ ventorles
/ In this way almost every item on the
I 49,. fsTlsUf OF WUHnrfTFa Gee
and discussed including tciophonee t.I-
ephone lines. boilers and engines. and
Mr. Sullivan explained that the right
I or way. which was valued at $500. 900
Was based on an estimate OF about
: $50 per rod. II could not DE learned
7 Just how much this land had cost the
/ company.
Morning Session.
brought out Dos Judge Nesbitt that vas
. expected To- have considerable iaarirg
on the ultimat" ending - 'he case. Tho
object ~ the company a- PREVIOUSLY am
uounced is Co make flat Incressc
throughout their entire territory ru
mis- connection 10 WAS shown that there
piled hy the NanufactHrcr'a Light 2
Heat COMPANY boo Pennsylvania as 200
. vest virginia ohio has about twice
a. many Ir making the IrDr.rea ON
this basis mo- allowance is made. fo- ftc
TACT THAT local consumers arc closer Zoo
ne fi"li Of production. and that the ras
| t.i' IN 'N'Il own stale. which
re'pN no benefit from the immense
amount which g. rIred out
ln fh" direct examination ~ Nr euUi.
van. conducted hy counsel We'll % yya.
nit'l"e'd mat Tho Hope Natural Co..
Company was NOT q subsidiary az fr.
Nan TACT Hr"f Light a. Heat gou.fart.
u was stated that tho ouIr corr..fI.,.
het"een th" Two was Tho buying a.I
selling nf the R1e produced bt- a.. rt',-.'
COMPANY
Tho hearing VIII he resumed tb'a
In'f 'nE ~ ".'lun. af which time o..
Ii'IE "i The rates 80 900 DO gone into FUR
thor
VIII HOLD MFErIMc