The Washington times., 1915-12-04
ANONYMOUS NOTES
TO Be IGNORED
BY UTILITIES BOARD
New Rules Of Procedure Gov
erning Communication With
Public Issued.

Rules OF procedure to govern It's
method of communication with the
public and to regulate the, mode and
manner of all Investigations and
hearings pertaining to public utilities
we're announced by the Public Utii-
tiles Commission today. The rules
were adopted by the commission at
its meeting on December / and are
Immediately effective.
One Of the important policies IL to
disregard all anonymous communica-
tions, which is the commission =
answer to recent unsigned complaints
OF working conditions purporting to
have come from employees OF the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company.
Any person. firm. company. corpora
tion, or associations. mercantile or
manufacturing society. body polite
or municipal organization. or public
utility. the rules state, may complain
to the commission or anything done or
omitted to be done in violation OF the
public utilities law, or any other law
relating to public utilities in the Dis
trict.
Must Be Specific.
II is provided that all complaints shall
he In writing. signed by the complainant
and shall relate specific acts or omis-
sions. They should be addressed to the
''Pubiic Utilities Commission. District
Building" Communications and COM
plants are to be preferred in typewrit-
ten form.
ciasses-formal and Informal. In the
handling OF Informal cases, a CODY OF
the complainant or the substance there
~, will be sent to the party against
days. A copy OF the reply will be sen,
TO the complainant. together with the
result OF such Investigations as the com.
mission may make, and the complaina nj
slider further correspondence IL the
. reply is unsatisfactory. A case will be
handled formally. when from It's nature
or the requirements of law or failure
TO conclude satisfactorily an infroma
case; II becomes necessary to hold q
public hearing.
Ten Days Notice.
Ten days notice Of a formal hearing
Is given to all concerned. Subpoenas
requiring the attendance OF witnesses
viii be issued upon the application of
either party, or by order OF the COM
mission. II Is provided that whenever
financial condition, It shall show, by
appropriate schedules. the foilowins
data Amount and class Of capital stock
authoriIsd amount and classes Of capt.
tsi stock issued. with the amount and
rates OF dividends paid on each class
during the proceeding year: terms OF
preference Of all preferred stock Issued
number and amount of bonds author.
ized ana issued under each mortEare
describing each class separately And
irving date OF issue par value, rate oi
interest, date Of maturity. now secured
sinking FUND provision. amount now In
sinking fund. and brief descriptions OF
sacn mortsage upon any property OF
Information Demanded.
When application is made by a utiIit y
for the certificate Of the commission au-
thorixinS the issuance and sale OF
stocks. bonds or other evidences OF in
debtedness. tho petition shall set forth
'he legal authority under which right IA
claimed. the financial condition Of the
htutN uhlcss previously filed IN the
naiItyi annual report; amount OF pro,
nosed Issue. terms Of proposed issue
he used. and the nature OF the security
II any.
When request Is made that the com.
mission order the extension of a street
railway line 1t is provided that the pets
ion set forth the, proposed route and
The facts which will show the public
necessity for II. The traction coInpan,
~ required to state In its answer the
kind OF construction best suited to the
service. the probable cost. and the man
the extension and the probable revenue
with such data as will Indicate whether
tho extension Will prove to be CON
pensatory within reasonable time.