Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-02
PROPOSED RAISE
IN RATES TOPIC AT
ELECTRIC HEARING
Power Company Head Ex-
plains Reasons for Need
of More Revenue.

The Potomac Electric Power Com
pany will require additional revenue
amounting to $65o,000 to give it a Z per
cent return on the valuation placed upon
its properties by the Public Utilities
Commission, it was disclosed today at a
hearing before the commission in which
representatives of the company urged
their right to seek higher rates for the
company,s product rt
Vice President Bowen gave this in
formation to the commission. He added
that the company would need additional
revenue amounting to $750.0OO to give
it a return of per cent, and that IT
was the purpose of the company to ask
for 155eh an increase. !.
Proposea Increases.
5 II was disclosed also that the COM
pany would seek to obtain permission
to charge the consumers in schedules
A. B.. C. @ and II the same rates they
were charged prior to order 223 issued
by the commission. which is now the
20 per cent increase for street. light
ing, in addition to the proposed coal
clause on the consumers OF scheoule
E, the commercial consumers.
The hearing this morning was given
over in large part to IA isgal Il; srEnn ;on
had right to go ahead with the con-
sideration of the proposals Of the
company, in view of the court 1n5unc-
tion, ,unlesss either the compa ny or the
comIfissiop first seeks q modification
Of that Injunction.
Protest for Citizens.
w. NICK. Clayton, representing the
nf
protested that the amended petition
filed by the power company did not
specify just what increases were to
be made on the consuming public, II
the commission should accept the
view of the company. and that under
the law the public was entitled TO
such notice, so that it could be rep
resented, if it desired. before the COM
mission at the hearings. .j
The commission took recess until
3 O'Clock, when it will decide what
the procedure shall be. 1t appeared
likely that the commission would re-
Quire the company to amend its petit
ton, stating just what increases in
rates were requested. and would set
date several days away for the
opening of the hearings.
Asks About Injunction.
At the outset of the hearing today.
Corporation Counsel Francis H. Steph-
ems on behalf of the commission, asked
the Representatives of the company now
the proposed proceedings would affect or
| be affected by the injunction issued by
Justice Gould of the District Supreme
| Court. which prevents the enforcement
of the commissions orders fixing tho
! valuation of the company and the rates
| to be charged the injunction having
been issued in August. 1917. Under this
| injunction. the old rates charged by the
company continue, but there is I'M
<f,<. hof
! rates and the rates ordered by the COM
mission, SO that if the courts nnaily up
| hold the commission, the difference may
! be returned to the consumers.
! Vice President Bowen of the power
| company replied that he considered the
| commission had full power to go ahead
with this investigation into the rates
which should be charged, and that the
company would go to the court II neces-
sary to ask that the injunction be modi-
| fled later.
I I'VE hold that the commission is not
enjoined from increasing the rates. but
that it is enjoined from reducing the
rates IL accordance with order 223," he
said.
| Counsel Presents Amendment.
| When Mr.. Clayton raised the objection
that the petition of the company was
rot specific as to rate increases asked
10. n. Yellott of counsel for the COM
pany presented an amendment to the
petition setting forth the increases re-
ferred to. But Mr. Clayton contended
that this was not sufficiently specific and
that the public should be given full in
formation ard time in which to appear
j. Morrill, Chamberlin. general
counsel for the Washington Steel and
Ordnance Company, and G. Thomas
Dunlop. representing the Terminal
! Taxicab Company. schedule E con
/ sumers. agree that the public should
! be given full Information with regard
| to the increases in rates urged by the
| company. They said they were not
present to interpose technicalities to
prevent a hearing. but were there to
see that if an increase was warranted
! it should be equitably distributed, and
should not fall entirely upon the
schedule E consumers. as was in
tended in the original petition filed by
f, the company, and which had been
| la.aanaad a ffer faruaer hearin1