Evening star., 1921-02-20
UTILITY HEARINGS
WILL Be DELAYED
Rates on Gas, Electricity and
Car Lines Not to Be Con-
sidered Before March q.

The Public Utilities Commission. it
was definitely learned yesterday. will not
consider the rates for gas. electricity
The law requires ten days notice
before a hearing can be held on the
rates of a public utility. and Col
Charles w. Kutz. chairman of the
commission, said it has been the policy
of the commission to exclude Sundays
and holidays from the period of notice.
None of the companies whose rates
expire during March have filed appli-
cations yet and even IL they had
been filed today it would have been
too late for a hearing before March
4. allowing for ten days exclusive Of
holidays and Suudays.
The Washington hallway and Elec-
ric Company and the Potomac Electric
Power Company have announced that
they propose to seek continuation of
existing rates after March 81.
1t is expected that the Washington
and Georgetown gas light companies.
whose rates expire March Il. also will
seek continuation of the charge of $l.32
per thousand cubic feet for gas sold to
private homes and small business eS-
tablishments. Officials said today, how
ever. they are not certain what rates
their petition will contain.
If Commissioners Boardman and
Hendrick are not confirmed by the Sem
ate in the ten remaining days of Con-
gress, or not reappointed by President
Harding, their successors will find
themselves facing these three big
questions-gas. electric and street car
rates~-the moment they take office.
Friends of Miss Boardman and Mr.
Hendrick still believe the incumbents
will be confirmed.
The gas rate hearing will be the first
considered after inauguration day.
since gas rates will be the first to ex-
pire. The price of oil used in the man
ufacture Of gas will be the main fac
tor in the case.
Oil Prices Drop.
The principal reason given for the
increase in gas rates was the RAPID
rise in the cost of oil, which reached
12% cents per gallon a few months
ago. 1t is understood the prices of
this oil have dropped substantially
and citizens, it rs expected. Will use
this fact as an argument for reduc-
ton in rates next month.
The commission probably will have
little difficulty in determining from
sls cents per kilowatt hour for cleo
tricity should be continued after
March 81 or reduced.
The commission will find it difficult
however, regardless of who is on the
board next month. to determine what
should be done about street car fares
The Washington Railway and Elec-
tric Company has made it known that
it must have the present rate Of four
tokens for 30 cents continued. Officials
of the Capital Traction Company admit
they could make a fair return on VAL
uatien with lower rate of fare.
The commission for more than a
year has been giving the Capital Trac-
tfon Company unsought increases in
fare in the hope that Congress would
recapture this surplus>revenue by en-
actment of the bill providing for a
tax on the profits of the companies
instead of the existing per cent tax
on gross revenues.
If the present session adjourns
without passing the bill it is possible
that the commission will hesitate to
continue the present rate of fare for
the Capital Traction Company in order
to keep fares uniform on both sys-
tens.