Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-29
Telephone Rates, Gas Com
pany Interest and Bank
Deposits Studied.
HOUSE CHAIRMAN HOPES
FOR THREE NEW LAWS
Is Preparing to Bend Every Legis-
lative Effort Toward Bring
ing About Changes.

Representative Ben Johnson chairman
OF the House District committee, is pre-
pairing to bend every legislative effort to-
ward the alienation of certain conditions
IN Washington which appeal to him as
peing discriminatory against the welfare
OF the every day citizen. In talk with
Mr. johnson yesterday. Star reporter
learned that there are four things upper
most in the chairman's mind. and each
OF these things is directly concerned in
the every day life Of Washington.
FIRST. Mr. johnson is interested in tele-
phone rates. and believes that Washing
tons are too high
second. he is interested in certain fea-
lures of the business Of the gas compa-
MES mere, especially the way they col
lect deposit in advance and pay an ar
bltrary rate of interest upon it,
Third, he believes that the flaw found
by the courts in the loan shark law is
ABOUT as important as pin hole in a
wash boiler and that a good tinker can
patch it up. and he believes it should be
patched just as quickly as possible.
Fourth, he is interested in the un-
claimed deposits lying in banks. and
probably will suggest legal method of
caring for them.
Wild Ideas Set at Rest.
There have been all sorts of specula-
tons as to what was coming from the
District committee of the House. and
the publication of an authorized inter
view with the chairman of the commit
tee puts at rest any wild ideas that
the committee is planning sensational
and radical reform. Not that the single
expression of his views binds the COM
mittee. but it is undoubtedly true that
Mr.. Johnson, being veteran in the COM
mittee. will draft legislation along the
| lines Indicated and there is nothing in
sight to show that il will not be reported
to the House
On the other hand. there are other
things to come from the committee or
go to the committee in the shape of
bills With at least half a dozen munic-
ipal experts on the new committee it
will not be surprising if several startling
, propositions are placed in the form OF
bills and dropped in the basket at the
Speakers table.
To return to Mr.. Johnson, He has
been in correspondence with city officials
throughout the country and is firmly
convinced that the telephone rates in
this city are too high. To bring about
a reduction will necesstate Investigations
and a valuation of plant and operating
charges. and the District committee is
well equipped to do this.
The five and ten dollar bills which the
Washington Gas Light Company collects
from house renters before the gas will be
turned on has caused Mr.. Johnson no
little study. This is his view of the
situation:
Gas Company's Interest Rate.
IF the company must be protected by
these deposits. the company should be
required by law to pay the highest rate
of interest allowed by law in the Dis
trict of Columbia, which is per cent
month. The gas company also should
be required to make settlements Of the
interest every six months. Under the
present arrangement. whereby the COM
pany exacts So or SO from thousands
of Washingtonians. it is possible that
a man shall put up his money at the age
Of twenty-five and never see 1t again.
Representative Johnson is in earnest
about this feature of the gas company S
business and expresses the opinion that
he will have the backing of large num-
Der Of house renters in ii.
AS for unclaimed deposits in the banks
the District committee is in possession
of statements that there are several
very large sums of money in banks here
unclaimed for long term of years. Mr..
Johnson believes this should be inyes-
tigated He believes that five years is
long enough for an unclaimed deposit to
lie in bank, and that it should be
turned over to the care OF the District
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