The Washington times., 1923-03-22
.PEPCO HOLDING
$4,000, 900
FUND
Decision IN Suit Means More
Than ST to Each Of
81, 900 Citizens.
CONTINUED from Page 17.).

l. 2
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
ors, today will call upon its mem.
bership to give financial support Of
the cause. @
That the $4,000 fund would be
raised appeared certain today. Sew
eral hundreds OF dollars are ex-
pected to- be contributed by the
Merchants and Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION. The raising Of this
money Will assure the citizens OF
the District of continuation by.
Syme Of his fight to win the public
utility case before the highest
court IN the land.
Citizens Association Is making plans
needed. william Mex. Clayton,
chairman OF the public utilities
committee, said today the fedora
TONS committee would make g re.
port on means to aid the fund at
the federation's next meeting.
Since August, 1917, practically 20
lper cent Of the electric bills paid
by some $4,000 consumers has been
set aside awaiting the decision OF
the courts.
The irnpounding Of this 20 per
cent began when the electric COM
pany went to the District Supreme
Court and protested against the
valuation which the commission
placed on its property. The COM
pany valued itself at twice the
value placed on It by the commits
sion.
Reduced Rate to. 8 Cents.
About the same time the commits
L <aSH 4kes. SHvaa <NSaNN 1
reduced electric current from 10 to
| s cents per kiIowatt hour. The
company Immediately went into
court and restrained the commits
sion from reducing the rates. The
court issued q temporary injunc-
| ton and allowed the company to
collect the 1O-cent rate. The court,
however, directed the company to
| impound the difference between the
commissions rate and the 1O-cent
rate until the case was finally
settled. It also directed the COM
pany to pay 8 per cent ON this
money.
This was ordered In August, 1917.
pounded $141. s99.S1. IN 1918. $424,-
967. 05 was impounded; I'm 1919,
sos. 967 95: in 1920, $611 ,696 .O7;
1921, $676. 919.97, and 1922, $1,0S3.-
621.1 bringing at total for that
period to $S,448,117
During the month Of January OF
this year the company put away
| $114,766.21. 1t Ii estimated that
the same amount was put away
last month and practically the
same amount will be set aside this
month. The actual total up to
and including January of this year
Ills $685., 873.54. The estimated toal.
Including the months Of February
and March. is about $500. 900. BY
the end Of this year. unless the
case is settled, this fund win
amount to $5,00O.OOO. it is esti-
mated.
All Of this $4,000, 900 belongs to
the people. It will all be returned
IL the commission wins the case in
court. II the commission loses then
| the money goes to the electric COM
pany to be used probably for divi.
dends. The prosperous electric COM
pany can well get along without
| this money.
Syme Has Case I'm Hand.
The $1,000 needed to retain Syme
Is an inconsequential sum compared
to what the people will get IL the
case is won by the District. Syme,
Il as general COuuSCl 1OE lu0 NOtiAAASp
sion for six years, lad this case in
hand. When he resigned to enter
| private practice he was retained as
special counsel with a $4,000 yearly
salary. Congress, at the last ses-
sion, inserted q clause in the appr3.
priation bill providing that no money
could be paid out for special counsel.
This means that after July l the
| Commission will have no money TO
pay Syme.
Engineer Commissioner Charles
Keller realized the Importance Of
| the situation. He called on the
Chamber OF Commerce. Board Of
Trade and Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association, suggesting
they get together money to pay
| Syme's salary for another year.
The first two bodies declined.
At this point Hearst stepped in.
So far 81 300 has been raised. Now
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association has Joined The Times
and Herald campaign for the money.
It appears today as If the money
will be raised within a few weeks.
| II you don't keep your electric
bills, it's good idea to start and
save them now. The electric COM
pany keeps an account Of the
money due you, but 1t might be
well also to keep your bills so
you may check UP with their fig
| ure.
The Washington Times and Wash
ington Herald has received the fol-
lowing letter from George M. Yeat-
man, president of the South Wash.
ington Citizens Association:
LAS president Of the South Wash
ington Citizens Association and in
behalf Of the citizens of southwest
washington, wish to express my
appreciation of the generosity and
public spirit Of The Washington
Times and Herald, wishing them
every success in their campaign
and the united support of every
| citizen Of Washington.
Praises Newspaper Action.
'"The Hearst newspapers are the
only salvation the people seem to
have, as they are all the time striv-
ing to educate the people to the
| danger which lies behind the scenes,
but what can we poor voteless
people do, as we are denied that
which every red-blooded American
citizen Is due him-the vote
II am proud to know that am
member Of a citizens association.
as In their stand throughout the
| city In this matter Of defending the
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