Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-04
Meaning Of the Enactment.

The meaning of this enactment is
perfectly plain. 1t was to enable the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany to extend such support to any
existing electric power company as
would render assured the furnishing
Of power to it and its associated COM
pantes. Certainly it was never in
tended that this thus limited enabling
clause should be used to give the Wash
1ngton Railway and Electric Company
an absolute monopoly of the public and
private electric lighting of the Dis
trfct of Columbia 1t was never con-
templated that this clause would be
abused to enable 1t to pay any large
part of the dividends on it's SIS, 200, 900
of stock out of the pockets of the
electric light consumers of this Dis
trict. 1t was never intended that the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany should acquire every share of
the capital stock Of the only company
in this District that furnishes electric
light 1t was never intended that by
this stock ownership 1t should create
absolutely identical boards of directors,
fix the price for public and private
electric lighting and power and dis
eliminate In favor Of itself as a con-
sumner of electric energy.
ITO hold that the power given 1t by
Congress to enable it to conduct its
legitimate railway business can thus
be abused by the company, to create an
Illegal monopoly in a product not con-
nected with or part of the street
railway business is to assert a PROPOSE
ton as bad in law as 1t is rotten in
morals. To suggest that obligations
entered into upon an Illegal basis and
for an unholy purpose are so sacred
indicates that long-continued, un-
bridled power is more conducive to
monopoly than to morality.
Alleges Abuse of Privileges.
The abuse by the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company of its char
ter privileges to thus acquire this
monopoly in electric lighting is ample,
and more than sufficient Of itself to
justify Congress in the immediate re-
vocation of its charter. the appoint
ment Of receiver for It's property
and the compulsory transfer Of it's as
sets and franchises to hands more re-
spectful of law and the rights of the
people.
The easiest. the quickest, the surest,
and perhaps the only way to handle
this situation is to take over the prop
erty and franchises of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
upon fair valuation and place the
title to the same In the District of Co
lumbia. My deliberate belief Is that
when its property is thus taken it will
be found that 1t Is earning more than
a respectful dividend upon a fair valua-
ton. 1t may not be earning any divi-
dend whatever upon it's present cap
italization. but its present capitalize
ton is the last thing that should be
considered in fixing it's true value.
When the beneficiary of public grant
becomes too powerful to obey the law,
and considers that its coercive force is
insufficient to rectify unsound conditions
and illegal monopolies in public service
corporations, the time has come when its
public activities should cease and other
agencies should carry out it's obligations
to the public and not consider themselves
over, above and beyond the law i'll so do
ing. You can be assured the law is suf-
ficient for this purpose. You need not be
alarmed at the statement Of the presi-