The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-08
u.
". F. HAM SCORES
UTILITIES BOARD
Criticises the Suggestions for
Railway Extensions as
Peanut Business"
TAKES ISSUE WITH SYME
House Committee Concludes Hearing,
TAKES ISSUE WITH SYME
House Committee Concludes Hearing.
Prouty Again Urging Consolidating
Bill for Power Companies.

Criticising the Public Utilities Com
missions suggestions for street railway
extensions in the District as "picayune
and peanut business" and advocating the
working out of a broad financial policy
for the local public utilities so that the
growth of Washington would not be hin
dered by the inability of the utilities to
keep pace. w. F. Ham. vice president
Of the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. yesterday took issue with
Corporation Counsel Syme on the bill
to divorce the railway company from
the Potomac Electric Power Company at
the last hearing before the House Dis
trict Committee.
The committee yesterday concluded
hearings on the bill which seeks to sep
arate the two companies, after Mr.. Ham,
Charles F. Holm, OF New York. counsel
for the railway company: r. K. Baylor,
an engineer. in the employ of the Cen
eral Electric Company, and Paul r
Lincoln. an engineer in the employ of
the Westinghouse Electric and Manufac-
turing Company. had appeared and sub
mitted testimony against the bill Cor
poration Counsel Syme appeared for the
Public Utilities Commission and inter
rogated the witnesses.
Prouty Rcnews Suggestion.
As a result OF the hearings a new bill
may be prepared. having as its purpose
the consolidation of the electric power
and the street railway companies. Rep
resentative 81 F. Prouty again renewed
his suggestion that a consolidating bill
" Guild most effectually solve the Difficult
ties alleged to exist by reason Of the
relation of the railway and power COM
panies. and urged that the Corporation
Counsel and the officers of the companies
get together in the framing OF such a
measure.
1t was in reply to this suggestion that
Mr.. Ham made his criticism of the policy
of the Utilities c remission and pointed
out the need for even a more compre-
hensive financial program that would en-
able the utilities I" keep pace with the
growth of the city.
He described the condition of the tw"
companies at the present time. the rail-
way company's borrowing power under
its mortgages as having reached the limit
and that OF the power company as near
ly so. The Commissioners. he said. had
suggested that they would authorize new
small mortgages TO care for small rail-
way extensions. bu: this he characterized
as ''picayune and peanut business" What
was necessary. he said, was new imam
cial plan.
Chairman johnson asked Mr.. Syme
how even under the passage Of the sepa-
rating bill il would be possible to pre-
vent the same conditions as were com
planned of. and vas not satisfied that
the bill would accomplish the result de-
sired.
Mr. Holm submitted a statement Of
fact and a law brie: IN opposition to the
bill. The demand for the bill. he assert
ed. was initiated by new commission.
which had hardly had enough experience
to know what il wanted. He accused the
Public Utilities Commission OF starting
the trouble. as there was no other COM
plant.