The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-22
Executive Sessions In
Public Utility
Hearings
BY BILL PRICE.


1t is quite unfortunate that Col CHARLES KEEL
LER, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission,
felt called upon to exclude reporters from PUBLIC
hearing on rates to be allowed the Union Transfer
Company in this city. The precedent may be vi
cious one
The position of counsel for this company, in object
ing to public revelation Of facts to the proportion
of general expense charged to the Washington office
by the Union Transfer Company, which operates in
number of Eastern cities, and has its headquarters
elsewhere may have been correct, from legal stand
point, and that competitors of the company might not
come into possession of inside facts.
But bigger and broader question is involved in
the precedent established by Colonel Keller. That is
the right of the public which furnishes the money to
pay the salaries and dividends, to know something
about WHAT IT Is PAYING FOR, and why it is
paying certain rates for certain services. =
It difficult to force into the heads of public
service commissioners the idea that the first and
foremost factors in every public utility question is
the public itself 1t is entitled to know every inside
fact that will keep it informed as to why rate or a
fare is established for given service and it does not
look good to the public when it is denied all facts
In this particular the Union Transfer Com
pany has its general offices elsewhere. 1t is, like
every big corporation controlled by big stockholders
and officers who mainly, if not wholly interested
in the dividends they get on the stocks and the
fat salaries they distribute among the officers.
The Washington branch of this concern pays pro-
portion of the general expenses. Of course the
pany would take the position that is no business of
the Washington public of rival companies to know
what the operating methods-salaries etc-are in
other cities. The company willing to privately
inform the commission, but didn't desire its compet
tors to be too well advised Sounds good, but isn't
it fact that the is monopoly and like all
monopolies prefers that the fool public shall not
know too muchi
It is Of considerable to the hood
winked people of Washington to know whether they
are paying baggage rates that go toward excessive
general salaries of outside exorbitant
dividends on the general stock of an outside com
pany.
The respectful tenderness too often exhibited to-
ward "big business with its headquarters else
where and its operations enshrouded in mystery, is
touching in the extreme There is nothing concealed
about what the public HAS TO DO. 1t is kindly
allowed to pony up' the money to run the establish
ment, but must not be too well posted to just why
it is required to pay certain amount.
Congress may have made mistake when it named
the P. U. G. the "Pubc Utilities Commission" II
the precedent which has been set should be followed
it could just as well be the Private Utilities Com
mission"
Some day we are going to have commission sep
arate and distinct from the personnel of the District
Commissioners, and it ought to be composed of mer
who fully comprehend the purposes of such com
mission Congress will keep threatening to create
separate body until some day it will do so.
ONCF-0 VFR