Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-12
UTILITY BOARD
ADOPTS NEW RULES
Placing the Public and Corpora
tons on an Equal Footing in
Matters Before the Board.

In order to place the people and any
public utility on an equal footing IN the
matter of petitions, compisints, etc.
the BOARD of Public Utility Commis-
sioners, at meeting yesterday afternoon,
adopted new rules, which had been
drawn bv a committee appointed for
the purpose, Messrs, Garretson and
Higgins. with the assistance OF City
Solicitor Bayard.
first under the new rules and regula-
,ions at their regular meeting next
Wednesday. September is. when the
recent request of the Wilmington Gas
Company to be allowed to increase
their rates will come before the board
The gas company is asking for an in
crease of 25 cents per thousand cubic
feet of gas. making a net rate o. $3.50
per thousand cubic feet of gas They
are also requesting that they be al
lowed to add 10 per cent to all unpaid
bills after ten days. and that they be
allowed to charge monthly minimum
OF SO cents on all meters in service
where gas used does not equal that
amount
The new rules and regulations.
which we're ordered published IN
pamphlet form, follow:
Public sessions OF the Commission
for hearing contested cases will be
held at the Mayors Office or IN the
CITY Council Chamber. City Hall, on
such days and such hour as the Com
mission may designate.
Public sessions for receiving. con-
sAdering and acting upon petitions.
complaints. applications and other
communications. and also for consid-
eripg and acting upon any business OF
tho Commission will be held at the
Mavor's Office, City Hall. on the first
Friday in the month. at 500 p. NJ
An sessions will be public. unless
otherwise ordered by abe Commission
All papers and communications
should be addressed to the Board OF
Public Utility Commissioners for the
city OF Wilmington. Mayors ONCE
City Hall, Wilmington. Delaware.
Tho Commission may. in its discre-
ton. allow any complaint, answer. or
petition or other Paper Heretofore
filed 70 be amended or corrected or
any omission therein to be supplied.
Such amendements, corrections or ad-
ditions shall be in writing.
ANY person or persons may com
plain to the Commission by petition in
writing of anything done or omitted
to he done by any public utility in vio-
Iation OF Cp any provision of law, OF
t?l the terms and conditions of the
franchise or charter of the public
utility complained OF. of (s) an unsafe
and inadequate service. Of tb un-
lust. unfair or unreasonable rates or
determinations. or of (5) an order OF
the Commission.
The petition should specify the re-
srects wherein the service is made
ouata or unsafe. or the methods or
rates unjust, unfair. or unreasonable.
xr unlawful, and should state whether
the petitioner is customer. patron
or purchaser of the service afforded
hv the utility complained against as
the case may be.
The name OF the public utility COM
planned OF should be stated IN full and
the name and address OF the petitioner
should appear in his. her or its own
writing on the petition.
The petition may also contain any
other specifications Of any Illegal act
on the part of the public utility com
planned against or any violation of the
charter or franchise of said public
utility, in respect to manufa cture. dis
tribution, transmission or supply Of
such service. or in the method of con-
ducting it's business. and should state
the relief which the petitioner de-
sires.
The petition should show by what
acts or omissions of the public utility
complained 6, the petitioner is as-
grieved.
No petition regarding two or more
in one petition shall be made without
the consent of the Commission.
No oral or unsigned petition will Re
entertained or acted upon by the Com
mission.
Any public utility may complain to
the Commission by petition IN writing
for relief from % the then present
rate which il is charging its customers
for the service or services rendered.
Cd from any order heretofore po-
mulgated by the Commission and to
which the utility is subject, or CD in
regard to any matter in which the
utility may have an interest under the
law and over which the Commission
has jurisdiction.
The complaint should specify in de-
tail the reason or reasons for fling the
same and set forth in like detail the
relief asked for.
The name Of the public utility com
pla1nant should be stated n full.
After a complaint has been filed