The Washington times., 1925-03-26
Hamstringing the Public Ut1ll-
ties CommissiOn---Mr.
Syme's Case
Rv BILL PRICE.


By BILL PRICE.
T. ;rc its anneal to the Public Utilities Commission
for reyaluaon Of its properties In tne nope % a
ucn IN telephone in the District the chesapeake
~ ptomac Teenhone Company has already expended
MORE THAN 100000 This does not lncuoe attorney ieeS
ana o'ne ontarily proceeded to this action knowing
that the expense attached to the most careu
Kind of preparation Of its the PUBIC OF washington
would have to indirectly pay the bill -
Now take the other side of the question The Fupnc Ut
ties Commission created to do Justice between public ut
.; and the nnbic will not be able expend $4,000 in
aiming the facts and figures presented Oy tne eepnon
monopoly and in combating the exraVagant CLAIMS VecnCal
and otherwise that submitted
IF this doesn't cause the citizens of Washington and the
;ct "Reminiscences to THINK we don't what should
,t :. ba ont the ALLEGATIONS of LA TOILETTE and
other progesves in Congress and all over the lana nag IN
vested wealth given every possible proecon unoe the laws
For the fiscal year beginning July 1926 Congress has
appropraed of $500 for all expenses connected with
the Public Utilities Commission This includes the counsel
for that body secretary accountants clerical 1orce
engineers inspectors ETC. includes gas inspection force
that II meets testing meters and looking after
complaints includes those in charge OF street railway
schedules and inspection, electric lighting matters bus CON-
pany affairs telephones and other things.
This $4,000 is drop in the bucket to what public
utility corporations of the District pay in safeguarding their
interests brought in Congress that one year
the pay Of utilities attorneys amounts to $9OOOO Alone not
including special fees
Commission will pay four accountants the total sum OF
$1,000 for their services In this is included chief account
the books Of all public utilities corporations IN the
District and anayze operating and other expenses Tor the
Public Utilities Commission They barely scratch the
surface there should be deception double dealing It
would be virtually impossible for this small force to find it.
These men, further example are working upon
the valuation claims telephone company which has
provided itself with the services of all the expert accountants
and engineers DESIRES at public expense to present It's
figures They are from every standpoint though
they do good work.
The fault lies with Congress in refusing give the Utilities
Commission contingent for the employment Of extra ac
others when there OF work Ine
responsibility to be placed mainly upon the subcommittee
0ffh Committee
headed by LOUIS G. CRAMT0N, Of Michigan who keeps
his ears to the ground for what own but
doesn't give snap for of the people Of Wash
ington fool. He knows the immense advantages
tes Knowing this it isn't to his credit that he deliberately
permits these great advantages to be eterna on one soe OF
the ledger his constituents keep up with Dlstrlct a1is
sufficiently to know the matter mentioned here
they would quickly reach conclusion that he willing
that corporations have the best of all the breaks ne
is not the sort of they want to represent them
Mr. Cramton chiefly responsible for refusing the
Public Utilities Commission appropriations to pay for the
services of special counsel the counsel OF that
body man whose full Of municipal matters to
give requisite the commission Mr. Craton refused
Electric Light valuation case which will finally re-
public nearly 100000 OF the $6OOOOOO In the
impounded electric light fund
In order that the public might get square deal in that
case this newspaper colleague The Herald raised close
repIar counsel Mr. syme had intimately connected
with the case from the beginning and plendidy qualified
for the work he did.
Colonel Bel chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
has expressed opinion that Mr. symes services were in
valuable to the public which will be better off to the extent
of YET had not been for this and
The Herald people would have been nadequatey repre-
before the courts They nadequaey represented
now in the utilities still pending
glad Mr. Syme has withdrawn his petition for
large fee to be paid the fund His work that Of
public spirited attorney employed to protect the public
money received nothing compared to fees paid
by the electric light to their staff OF attorneys
In his announcing his withdrawal of the petition Mr.
Eyme concludes: II appreciate the signal assistance The
Herald and The Times rendered in possible way
serving the rights of the public in this litigation
This newspaper will its fight to that the rights
the public preserved They cannot be long
Congress deliberately hamstrngs the usefulness of the
Public Utilities Commission by inadequate appropriations
while knowing that the public utilities corporations SPEND
EVERY CENT THEY DESIRE to look after their own in
terests