Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-09
Says Difficulty and Cost of
Valuation of Properties Is
Made Greater by Two.
REFUSAL TO COOPERATE
is THE CHARGE MADE
Washington Railway and Electric
and Potomac Power Concerns
Criticised in Report.

! That the difficulties and cost of es-
! tablishing a valuation upon the prop
| critics of local utilities have been
greatly increased in the case of the
Washington Railway and Electric and
| Potomac Electric Power companies by
their refusal to cooperate in the work
| is the statement of the public utilities
commission in its annual report made
| public today.
! Only one company. the Capital Trac-
ton Company. mas actually co-operated
with the commission in its valuation
work. it is stated although all the
companies have extended uniform
| courtesies.
THE Washington Railway and Elec-
trjc Company and the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Company. asserts the re-
port, politely declined to furnish any
specific information, other than own
ership of property in certain cases, and
other than that afforded by their books
and such records as they have and
such as the bureau is able to locate
and analvZe This peculiar, unusual
and unexpected attitude upon the part
of these two companies has greatly
Increased the difficulty and cost or our
work
To Finish by End of Year.
The report states that the work con-
nected with these two companies
should be completed by the end or the
present year. 1t points out that the
examinat ton into the accounts OF the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company has proceeded with dlmcultS
in view of the fact that the company
is the outcome OF neutrality-suspicious. Oh
earlier corporations.
no
the first of the year. as shown by the
report, was as follows;
Track and roadway field surveys
completed, except as to depreciation.
Field inventories and quantita tive
SURVEYS OF thirteen buildings of the
Capital Traction Company, nine build
ings of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, and four buildings
of the Potomac Electric POWER COM
pany have been finished
Field inventory of power plants and
substations of the Capital Traction
Company has been finished.
Field Inspection completed of ~.
cars of Washington Railway and
Electric Company and thirty-two cars
of the Capital Traction Company.
Field inventory of underground
electrical distribution systems OF the
Potomac Electric Power Company Is
per cent complete.
Inventory and inspection OF gas-d1s-
tribution system of Washington Gas
Light Company largely done"
Review of Year 1914.
The report reviews the work during
1914 Of the various branches Of the
commission. including its legal depart
ment, under direction of Corporation
Counsel Conrad H. Syme: the execu-
tive departments under Assistant En-
gineer Commissioner Julian l.. Schley
and Chief Clerk b. A. Harlan;
the bureau of statistics and ac-
counts, under J. G. Williams; the bu-
reau of transit and equipment inspec-
ton, under H. c. Eddy: the gas in
spection bureau. under E. G. Runyan:
the electrical inspection bureau, under
J. P. Schrodt. and the valuation bu-
reau, under E. w. Bemis.
Statistics given by the bureau OF
transit and equipment show that 1850
accidents resulting in personal injury
or loss Of life occurred In the District
last year in connection with the opera
ton Of all public utilities coming under
the supervision of the commission. In
all fifteen persons lost their lives.