The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-07-31
ELECTR|CCOMPANY
SUES TO CHANGE
VALUATION DATA

Suits to set aside the valuation OF
the properties OF the Potomac Electric
Power Company by the Public Utih-
ties Commission and to enJoin the
commission. pending n mai hearing.
from enforcing OF attempting to put
into operation any rates. tariffs, tolls.
or changes based on such valuation,
was entered in the District Supreme
Court today by the corporation.
The valuation found by the commits
sion was 81, 231 .170.43. The valuation
claimed by the company. based upon
the report OF cost OF reproduction,
made by Its own expert. Harold Al
inert, was S23.235.3 1887. The findings
OF the commission are declared to be
Inadequate, unreasonable, and I'M
lawful for the following reasons:
Because the said commission, In
Its conception OF the law and conduct
OF said inquiry. minconstrued, misap-
piled. ignored, and violated the pro-
visions and purposes of the law under
which they were acting.
Incompetent EvIdene. q.
"The said opinion. order. and and
ings are based upon Illegal and In
competent evidence, this contention
being supported by the charge that
reports of the accounting and engi-
neering divisions OF the valuation bu-
reau were accepted by the commission
without sufficient prima facie evil
dence.
because in finding that the amount
of money 1t would require to secure
the right OF way, reconstruct the con-
Quits, subways, poles. wires. switch
boards, exchanges. offices, works,
storage plants. power plants. machin-
cry and any other property not in
cluded In tie foregoing enumeration
used or useful to the company and to
replace a. the physical property be-
longing to the public utility was but
81 900 .22s.7S when the evidence
showed that at the date of said as
certainment II would have required at
least f23.235, 1851 to secure, recon
sttuct. and replace said property. ex-
elusive OF many items OF cost omitted
by reason of the impossibility of
ascertaining with certainty the ex-
istence of many Items Of property or
the cost thereof In part"
The bill AYERS that the commission err
roneously eliminated from the historical
l.
costs to the amount Of S5.S2I.74I.5s with
out evidence to support or justify such
elimination and asks that the amount be
restored.
Excluded By sanEsteF.-
1t AYERS that many expenditures made
by the company were ignored and ex-
cluded by Andrew Sangster, chief ac-
countant OF the valuation bureau. in his
report on historical cost.
With ressect to the report Of
Charles L. Pillsbury, chief engineer cf
the valuation bureau. II is declared
that this witness, contrary to his
own Judgment as to what was right
and proper" was compelled by per-
emptory orders given by the commits
sion and his Immediate superior. Ed
ward W. Bemis. director OF valuations,
TO conine himself In his estimate TO
that portion of the physical property
actually within the District and to dis
regard all reorganization expenses
and all expenses OF every character in
CURED prior to actual construction.
Complies "Under Duress.-
Notice of intent to comply under
duress" with the recent order of the
Public Utilities Commission prescrib-
ing reduced rates for electric service
pending action by the court on q
separate suit to be Instituted on the
rate question was received by the
commission today from the Potomac
Electric Power Company. The re-
duction OF from 10 cents to cents
per kIlowatt hour and from 81 to
10 cents for the minimum charge be-
comes effective tomorrow.
Proceedings in the rate case prob
ably will be filed tomorrow.
The company asks that the rates
on file be taken as modified, sub
ject to appeal therefrom and the ac-
ton of the court, until the company
has had time to prepare new print
81