Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-20
Vice President Ham of W. R.
and E. Company Criticises
Utilities Board Expert.
DECLARES HE is UNFAIR
AND LACKS EXPERIENCE
Sharp Colleagues Today at Hearing
on Bill for Merging Two Lo-
cal Corporations.

Dr. f. W. Bemis, the expert of the
public utilities commission. was Sc
verely criticised before the House Dis
trct committee today by Vice President
Ham of the Washington Railway and
Elecric Company ard the Potomac
Electric Power Company in the hearing
on. the Fairchild bill to authorize a
merger between those two corpora =
tions. After hearing Corporation Coun-
and light corporations for what he
termed the placing of negative obsta :
cles" in the way of the public utilities
commissions work. Mr.. Ham said to
the District committee:
If there is any one thing which
prevented thorough cooperation be-
tween the railway and the light COM
pany and the public utilities commits
sion it was the selection of DIR. Bemis
as the expert in physical valuation.
He has the reputation throughout the
country of always being unfair to the
railroad companies. He is not practi-
cal and has had no real experience
Mr.. Focht Makes Inquiry.
Representative Focht OF Pennsylva =
MIA made inquiries concerning Dr.
Bems while Commissioner Hutz was
testifying that he was opposed to the
Fairchild bill and a merger of the two
corporations. Mentioning DIR. Bemis
caused Representative Focht to ask:
WHO Is he:''
Commissioner ,Kutz said he is an au-
thority on railroad valuations
''Is he magazine writer?'
Yes" interjected Corporation Coun-
sci Syme. ''and he has also written
books
We'll" answered Representative Focht.
| II have heard of experts who could write
/ teal experience. | am a practical rail-
road man myself and have built and
operated street railways"
Speaks in Favor of the Bill.
/ Commissioner kutz today told the Dis
trict committee that he hopes the Fair
child bill will not be enacted until after
| the public utilities commission estab-
fishes valuations and proper rates of
service.
Mr.. Syne said the bill is mos,
| ominous one He outlined a series o1
| difficulties which, he said, the District
| committee and the public utilities com.
mission had experienced in gaining any
| information from the two corporation:
| as to their inter-relationship. the cos
! of producing power, etc. He went ovel
much of the old ground of contention
| that the railway pays its dividends ou
! of power company earnings.
The reason for this bill he de
| clared. lis to furnish Il justification foI
| Il
Relief for the private consumers o.
/ power would be postponed under thi:
! bill
! Representative Lloyd Of Missouri ant
Mr.. Syme then engaged in little
| set-to as to what constituted negative
obstacles the upshot of the matter
! being hat Mr. Syme explained in gen
| eral that there had been lack of CO.
| operation. Later the Missourian anc
the corporation counsel had another
| skirmish on Mr.. Syme's remark, which
seemed to Mr.. Lloyd to cast refiec-
ton on the motives behind the intro
duction of the Fairchild bill.
Objects to the differences
! You have not given us any infor-
nation. but you have left the infer.
ence tina Representative Farchld ha.
introduced this bill at the request o.
/ these corporations, said Mr. Lloyd.
! Il have not made any improper in.
ference, replied Mr.. Syme sharply
"and ] will not apologize for somethins
1 not done.
Vice President Ham said that tn,
/ Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany had owned the Potomac Electri,
Light and Power Company for man,
years and that Congress had full
knowledge of the facts. He believe,
ii unfair. he said. that the Commission
ers should make violent objections
against congressional action ffeel
| years old. He had in mind the law
passed at the time the railway was re
organized. He also said that the atti
tude Of the commission is that every
thing in Washington shall stand still
until the utilities commission finishe
its valuatiop.N He sai,l that the util
tiles commission could establish rate
| under one corporation as well as witt
! Two.
The hearings concluded today
H. P. Thorne, Art Critic, Dies.
LONDON. April 20. 1870 a.m.-Th