The Washington times., 1923-03-27
Sc RvICES
Of SYhE
NEEDED
Commissioner Keller Declares
Attorney Can Protect In
terest.of Citizens.
By VINCENT CALLAHAN.

by V1NOEN1 CALLAHAN 10
What is the Potomac Electric
Power Company fighting for II
the valuation case now before the
Supreme Court of the United
States? How will the absence of
Conrad H. Syme, special counsel
for the Public Utilities Commis-
sion, affect the case?
Big Money at Stake.
The answer to the first question
is that this company is putting up
the stiffest battle possible for the
greatest money grab ever put IA
reach Of any public utility in the
District of Columbia.
AS to Mr. Syme, his absence Will
give the. electric company an on.
portunity to fight with opponents
who are somewhat handicapped
through lack of personal knoWledge
of the case; an opportunity, proh-
ably, to "put over" important ele.
ments of the case.
The valuation case, in one sense,
is nearing its final stages. In an
other sense, it is only beginning.
May Go Back to Appeals.
The Supreme Court may dispose
of the case, but it is expected to
deny jurisdiction and return the
case to the District Court Of Appeals.
If it does so, then the valuation case
Is beginning all over again. The
appeals court, which gave decision
in favor of the electric company,
probably will be called upon to
elaborate this decision by setting
down specific rules to be followed
by the commission in making valua-
tons; they will be called upon to
cite specifically wherein the Utilities
Commission made errors in it's val
uation.
This will mean that the valuation
case will go back to the commission.
Another investigation no doubt will
have to be made. Hearings will be
held. The company will be given
another opportunity to put over Its
many claims, by which they will
seek to boost the valuation Of the
company.
Sylne Familiar With Case.
However, if syme is on the job,
the commission will have a man
Gus hearings; of previous attempts
of the company to put over" their
own valuation. He will be some
what like a watchdog" who can
catch the company every time they
attempt to slip anything cover.
Engineer Commissioner Charles
Keller, chairman of the Public
Utilities Commission, today reiter-
ated his declaration that Syme's
services are needed. ~
Hiring Syme is like taking out
life or accident insurance, he said
"It is a precaution which any bust
ness organization would take
There appears today to be a posi-,
bility that the valuation case viii
get back to the Commission.
$1,665 More Is Needed.
The campaign Of The. Washington
Times and Washington Herald to
raise $4,000 to continue Conrad II.
Syme in his post for another year.
beginning next July, is being car
ried on today. Thirteen hundred
and forty-five dollars has been
raised so far. There still remains
$1.655 to be raised.
William Randolph Hearst, through
The Times and Herald. has given
81 900; the Columbia Typographical
Union, 5000; Connecticut Aventie
Citizens Association, 500: Conduit
Road Citizens Association, $35, and
Thomas J. Donovan, $40.
The Central Labor Union, repre-
senting seventy-eight labor organi'
cations in this city, unanimously
Endorsed the campaign to raise $4,000.
Due to established practice, the
union could not vote contribution.
but it did pass a resolution calling
upon the member bodies to do all in
their power to aid this movement by
voting contributions.