Evening journal., 1918-09-21
AGAIN THRESH GUT
GAS RATE INCREASE
Company Submits Report
Showing Deficit for
Past Year
TO HOLD ANOTHER
PUBLIC HEARING


Wilmington Gas Company. Harold S
Schutt. general manager, concluded hi:
testimony before the Board Of Public
Utility Commissions public hearing last
night in Council chambers. Before con
Guiding, however, Mr.. Schutt presente,
the commissioners with copies OF IN,
earning statement OF the company a:
well as the payrolls for the past fOul
years, although President Of City COun.
Gil George 7. Lyon, who had request
ed that these be presented on We0
nesday night had only asked for tn
statements Of the years i9i5-i6-i7. The
earning statement showed that the COM
pany for the year i9i7-is had a deficit Of
Si2Si7.si.
Last nights hearing was attended by
about two score citizens. Several OF
those who had signed the Central Labor
Union and other organizations pro-
tests against the gas rate increase were
not present The Central Labor Uni0.
and the Locomotive Engineers, who had
been notified at the hearing on We'd
nesday TO present any evidence tendinh
TO show that the increase asked for
was unnecessary. failed TO present their
side Of the case. The only document
they presented was a statement from
MOOdy's Manual showing the finance.
statements OF the earnings Of the Low
ell Mass Gas Company as compared
with the statements OF the local COM
pany.
At the conclusion OF the hearing It
was announced that the Utilities Com
mlssioners would sit as a jury and re-
view the evidence presented and then
call for another public hearing in the
matter.
Councilman Robertson. who engaged
in a spirited debate with commission
ers as TO their duties during the meet
ing, requested Mr.. Schutt to present the
Central Labor Union, the Locomotive
Engineers and City Council with copies
Of their evidence as presented to the
commissioners and also the request for
the increase. This was agreed 10 by
the gas company. Efforts on the part
OF Mr.. Robertson 10 have Mr.. Schutt
request the commissioners not TO pass
on their application for the increase
until the Central Labor Union. the LO-
cOm0tive Engineers and Council had
time TO review the evidence drew forth
objections from the commissioners,
who said that il was up TO them 20 act
and not the gas company or Council.
Towards the close OF the session, ar
guments between the Utilities C0mmis-
sioners and members OF Council waXed
warm. especially when President Of
Council Lyon said that personally he
thought the Public Utilities Commission
instead Of protecting the public was
protecting the utilities company. Coun-
Gilman R0hSrlson also said that he
thought il any Investigation Of the
physical value Of the company was TO
be made, as had been suggested by Fred !
Bacher and others who opposed the in |
,rease, the same should be paid for by /
he gas company which is asking for /
he increase.
When the session opened last even |
ing Philip F. Isaac assumed the chair /
as president protein, and he opened I
the hearing saying that it was the de- !
sire Of the commissioners to give every /
one an opportunity TO be heard on the /
subject, but that the rules Of the COM
mission would have 10 be followed. He
added that after the evidence had been
presented questions could be asked
The secretary then called on those
who had protested against the rate in
crease TO present their evidence, James
O'Kane Of. the Central Labor Union be-
ing the first one called upon. Mr..
O'Kane stated that his questions per-
tanning TO the salaries paid the officials
Of the company had not been answered
as yet by Mr.. Schutt. James Dale, Of
the Central Labor Union, asked II the
gas consumption in Elsmere, Richard
son Park and New Castle was self-sup-
porting as far as the revenue received
was concerned. Mr.. Schutt replied that
II was.
No response was made when the
names OF J. C. Collision, w. z. Frasher.
and w w Bennett, who had protested
against the increase. were called. Mr.
Bacher, who is a former member Of the
Commission and one OF those protesting
vas called and he asked lir Schutt
what portion Of the old Wilmington
Goal Gas Company plant I'm Madison [.
street is now in use. Mr.. Schutt said /,
hat 10 was. not used in the making OF :
yas but that the equipment was being
ised in the plant at Madison and Beech =
street, in what is known as the old Ad- !
ticks plant
Mr.. Bacher then asked what portion
" the bonds Of this old company were !
and Mr. Schutt replied that /,
hose representing the purchase price =
u the plant are outstanding
Councilman Robertson was called and +
aid: II have this request TO make, =
hat the gas company furnish 30 this /.
loard OF Public Utilities, the Central .
.abor Union, the Locomotive Engineers Z
nd City Council, copy Of their origi- !,
al application for The increase in rates
ogether with a copy Of the evidence
resented here" C.. u. GarretsOn. one
T the commissioners at once objected.
aying that Mr.. Robertson was out Of a
rider. q
Mr.. Robertson retorted: Il know ! ii
m always out of order 10 two mem a
ers OF this commission" He then ask n
4 Mr.. Schutt to furnish the informa- n
on; with the added provlso that the '
rs company ask the Utility Commits .,
on not TO grant the increase until II
lose bodies given a copy Of the evil =,
ence had an opportunity 20 go through n
le matter This was objected TO by =
n. Garretson who insisted that it was .,
matter for the Utilities Commission n
decide when It came TO granting the a,
quest. o. o.
Mr.. Schutt replied that he was will r.
Il to furnish copies of the application
I'd the evidence as requested. The 60
digestion was made that MIR. Robert ~
IN ask the commissioners NOT IN act a..