The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1915-11-16
Public Service Commissioner
Says He Has Finally Con-
cluded Brooklyn Case.
GAS BILLS THE SAME.
Says They Do Not Vary No
Matter What the Legal
Rate May Be.

Leaving the Mccall stock holdings
for the present, the Thompson Investi-
eating Committee to-day began an
dquiry into Commissioner Williams
activities In the commission. Special
effort was made to throw light on the
causes that have held back for Ave
years relief to gas consumers in the
southern part of Brooklyn from Excess
siye rates for gas. The Evening World
has fought persistently to bring about
an SOcent gas rate for all OF Greater
New York. but the Kings County
Lighting Company, serving certain
sections OF Brooklyn has enjoyed n
special exemption that permitted a
Charge OF % cents per thousand cubic
feet.
For five years the demands OF the
consumers have been before the Pub
lie Service Commission. but always
the day OF decision has been post
poned and the old excessive rate con-
tinued In force. The case has been
pending before Commissioner George
V. $. Williams. He was summoned as
witness to-day and the probe of in
vestigatlon turned upon the record
OF proceedings.
Williams made this amazing state
ment as TO gas rates:
MY experience with gas 10 that the
bills are pretty much the Same no
matter what the rate TO-"
The witness said that he had at last
come to a decision in this gas rate
case and had written an opinion. but
1t was not yet ready to be made
public because the other mission
ers had not fully examined 1t. The
case was on the commission calendar
to-day for action, but went over be-
cause OF objection by Commissioners
Cram, who said he had not had a
chance TO go over the case.
WOULDN'T DISCLOSE WHAT HIS
OPINION WAS.
Inc committee asked him whe,ber
this case had not been started in 1910
and whether any opinion had been
yet rendered.
Yes, sir" answered williams: ct
have concluded the hearings and have
written out an opinion, which have
in my pocket"
Williams declined to state what a,
his decision, whether the price OF gas
In Brooklyn will be reduced or main
tanned at Its present rate. Without
further Questioning by the inyestIpa-
tors. he volunteered q long exp,ana.
ton ow how he had come TO write
the opinion. although the case was
not originally his. He said IL had
been taken over by him when Com
missioner Hayward. who had Il in
charge, requested some relief from
the large number of cases on his oaI-
endar. Then Chairman Mccall had
assigned the gas case to the witness.
The committee to-day instructed
Its accountants, Perley Morse q Co.
to follow the trail of the eighty-Hye
additional shares of Kings County
Electric Light and Power Company
stock owned by Chairman f. f.. Nc
Call OF the Public Service Commits
sion, as disclosed exclusively by The
Evening World yesterday.
Record of this stock was found In
the books of f. e. Chapman g. Co.,
brokers, whore Mccall formerly car
ried an account. and was transferred
by them to Waterman. Anthony & Co,
another firm of brokers now out OF
business. The eighty five shares were
an additional block to the 2S7 shares
which Mccall said he gave to his
wife.
Merton f. Lewis, Deputy Attorney
General and counsel to the investigat-
Ing committee. will devote his atten-
ton for the next few days to prepar-
ing for the prosecution OF the charges
against Mccall II the Chairman elects
to stand trial before the Governor.
This is a new departure from the
procedure when previous charges