Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-02-18
ORDERED LIGHT & HEAT
CO.'S RATE LOWERED
Voice Of Ogden Comes from the
Grave to Accuse Chief Executive.

WHEELING, Feb. 13.-"It don't
make damn bit of difference what
your testimony in this case, or what
it is not, the governor has ordered US
to reduce those rates and they are
going to be reduced"
So Chairman Howard N. Ogden, Of
the West Virginia public service COM
mission, now dead, told Charles Nc
Camic, of Wheeling, counsel for the
company affected, the Manufacturers
Light and Heat Company, of Pitts
burgh, preceding a hearing for the
company before the commission, De-
cember 5, 1913, in Wheeling. McCamic
testified just before adjournment last
night of the masters hearing in the
Company's appeal to the United
States court from the order of the
commission to reduce it's rates.
Today, as yesterday, the voice from
the dead Ogden was brought from
the grave to accuse Governor Hatfield
of forcing the public service commits
sion of making decisions to follow
his wishes instead of what the COM
mission believed to be the law.
Night sessions of the masters court
presided over by Attorney ]. w. Van
dervort, Of Parkersburg, were propos-
ed to be inaugurated tonight with a
view Of finishing the Wheeling hear
ing by tomorrow, but were put off.
Tomorrow the special master will de-
termine whether the hearing will go
into next week.
Representative S. B. Avis, of Char
lesion, one of the counsel for the
state, served notice that he will ask a
postponement to get back to his dut-
les in congress.
Six hours, counting an hour last
night and five solid hours today, were
occupied in arguing whether one wit
ness, Attorney Morgan Owen, Of
Charleston, who repeated alleged con-
versations with the late Commission
er Ogden, would be permitted to
answer this question:
did you have any CONVERSATION
with any other public service commits
sioner with reference to the appoint
ment and as to the direction and con-
troll Of the governor over the same? 2"
The question asked late yesterday
of Owen, who had been an applicant
for the position of law clerk to the
commission, was permitted late yes
terday to be answered, when the spe-
cial master overruled objections of
counsel for the state and sustained
the contention of Attorney A. Leo
Wiel, of Pittsburgh, and the other
counsel of the Manufacturers Light
and Heat Company.
The Wheeling law library was empt
led of bulky tons of precedents of
such cases, extending back over his
tory in America and England, to show
to the master that public bodies may
protect the secrecy of their executive
sessions, or that member of pub
lie body may not in private converse
lions. repujiate one Of his public acts
and have that private conversation
admitted as evidence, or that he may
quite properly do both these things.
Richard Owen answered the disputed
question:
"Well, / talked to Mr.. Bronson with
reference to getting my appointment
and he told me he would be for me, if
he could not get democrat. talked
to Mr.. Kilmer about it and he told
me he was for me, but that he would
be governed in the matter by the Gov
ernors that he would want to confer
J with the Governor in ali matters al