The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-12
COAL NOW
BELIEVED
INSIGHT
5rickIayers Swell Total by An
Assessment Which Nets
$241.75 for Fight.


With business houses Of Wash
ington rallying to the support Of
the Electric Consumers Fund be-
ing raised by The Washington
Times and The Washington
Herald, following Endorsement of
the campaign by the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association,
civic associations, labor unions
and hundreds Of individuals, the
campaign probably will close this
week.
Only $500 Short Of Goal
Today only a little more than
$500 remains to be collected, and
when returns are In from the many
meetings called for today and to-
night 1t is certain that the $4,000
fund viii have been completed.
The people OF Washington have
responded splendidly to the call for
assistance In lighting the valuation
case OF the Potomac Electric Power
Company 1t has been clearly shown
that without the services OF Con-
rad Syme the people of the District,
represented IN the legal tangle
through the Public Utilities Com
nittee, would be at a great disad-
vantage.
The electric company, with un.
limited funds at its disposal-money
paid into its treasury by residents Of
the District-has been able to en-
ploy the best legal talent. Congress,
however, cut out the appropriation
of $4,000 for special counsel for the
Utilities Commission. This meant
that Attorney Syme. who, through
many. years. connection with the
case, has attained a knowledge con-
sidered by the members Of the COM
mission indispensable at this time,
would not have been able to continue
as legal representative of the CON-
mission.
The facts were plain to those who
have for years followed the case step
by step. Without SyIne the chances
Of the People VS.. the Power Com.
pany- would be one-sided affair.
District Corporation Counsel Steph-
ems. whose ability is recognized and
- against whom no criticism Is directed
by the praise justly given Syme,
himself intimated that the loss Of
Syme's services would be a calamity.
Mr.. Hearst Gave $1,000.
So The Washington Times and
The Washington Herald set about to
see that the citizens of the District
would get fair play in the case.
+ William Randolph Hearst, owner Of
the two papers. personally con-
tributed $1,000 to the fund being
raised.
Since the announcement of this
generous sum, the citizens of Wash
ington have been kept informed day
by day of the progress Of the cam,
palgn to raise the remaining $4,000,
and many interesting facts concern
ing the Importance Of the case to
the people have been brought to
light. ',--
In every section Of the city, asso-
ciations-civios labor and Social
business organizations and individu-
ais have donated to the cause.
The completion Of the fund means
more than the mere collecting of
$4,000 to retain the services Of Syme.
While this in itself Is a matter Of
the deepest importance, there will
lie behind the successful conclusion
the entire population of the city that
II should be driven deep into the
memory of those who have either
aided the cause by contributing to
the fund, or have given it their moral
support.
This is that the citizens of the
= District have at last awakened to
the fact that they must personally
fight to gain their rights. The con-
tributing of $4,000 to a fund to fight
one OF the most powerful public
utility corporations in the District
Is evidence of the fact that the
people here are no longer willing to
stand quietly in the background
while rates for any service in uni
Versal use can be established at
will.
BricItlayers Raise $241.75.
By assessing each member of the
organization rs cents, the Brick.
layers Union No. 1, D. c., last
night raised $241.75 toward the fund.
Local No. 4, Boolbinders' Union
contributed $25, while an individual
donation of 50 was received from
Arthur Briscoe
That the valuation case is to he
a long drawn out affair now an
pears certain. The decision of the
United States Supreme Court which
sends the case back to the District
Court OF Appeals, means that a
new valuation must be placed upon
the company's property.