The Washington times., 1919-02-10
SYME ALLEGES
ESTIMATES OF
HAM'SEXPERT
ARE SWOLLEN
BY BILL PRICE.

Having for its purpose the fixing
or the valuation Of the properties Of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company at the earliest possible date,
That it may be prepared to pass in
telligently upon the claim soon to be
made by that road for increase OF
fares in this city, the Public Utilities
Commission today resumed valuation
hearings.
The last session Of the body was
late in March, 1918, at which time the
commission completed the direct tes-
tlmony OF Harold Almert, employed
by the company as its principal con-
sulting engineer.
The crOss-eXamination Of Almert
began today by Conrad Syme, counsel
for the Utilities Commission, and will
continue for some time.
Told of Inventory.
Almert had formerly testified as to
what it would cost TO reproduce the
Washington Railway and Electric
lines which include the city and sub
Curban and Georgetown and TenIey-
town. lines, which make separate
reports to the commission. He had
stated that he made a complete in
Ventory of the valuation of the prop
critics, aided by staff of about sixty
people, and that he had been paid by
the company a total of $4,000 up to
March, 1918. for his services. He was
asked by Syme to furnish the total
he has received up to this date. From
these payments he paid his own staff
Mr.. Almert in his direct examina-
Hdn-a svsr -
the properties, if reproduced as Of
July 1, 1916, as being $2s,656,2S3.62,
as follows: W. r. and F., $25,O53,
71450; City and Suburban. fi3,923,-
S6342; Georgetown and TennalIy-
town, S67E, ,7OO.7O.
The direct cost OF reproduction Of
the three roads. then arrived at by
him. was $16.966,9O9S9, but there
were various indirect items that went
to make up the grand total In
cluded in these is S7O2,SOS.15 for com
pensation to "conceivers and promo
ters;" development costs of S3,S3O, ,92O,
and "preperty rights in easements"
of s2,50O,Oe0
Under a plain name, property
rights in easements would be the
value of the company's franchise in
value Of what il believes to be its
rights in these streets.
DisaIIoved 10 Light Company.
The Potomac Electric Light Com
forward a similar item but this was
disallowed by the commission on the
ground that public utilities have no
franchise value to streets. The de-
cisiOn of the Commission disallowing
this item would knock off 81. 500, 900
at one blow from N. Albert's valUa-
tion.
The outstanding stock issues OF the
W. r. and E, are $l5,O0O,O00 preferred
and common: City and Suburban,
81. go, 600: G. and T, 100000.
The bonded debt of the three roads, !
upon which interest is now paid, is
SI9. 100000. Total stock and bonded
debt, upon which interest and divi- !
dends have been paid, $34,750,O0O, sub !
stantially S5,0OO,OOO more than Mr.. I
Almert estimates the cost OF reprOduC- |
tion.
Syme's scross-eNamination this morn |
ing brought out that Almert is |
stamped" as q corporation engineer: |
that he has had comparatively little |
work as an expert for municipalities, !
but has nearly always represented |
corporations.- Syme said that this |
sptaup" was "indelible." and Almert /!
admitted that he had not often been |
ompIoyed as representative Of the /
public.
~. Bemis, who has often represented