Evening star., 1926-03-04
House D. C. Subcommittee
Sees Step as Wedge for
Scent Car Fare.
SAY VALUATIONS BASED
ON COMPANIES REPORTS
Members Score Present Commit
sion for Failing to Furnish
Useful Information.

The public utilities subcommittee OF
the House Distri~~ committee is draft.
ing bill for creation of a new Public
Utilities Commission distinct from the
Board Of District Commissioners. with
provision for a peoples counsel, which
probably will be reported to the full
committee at its meeting next Wed.
nesday.
The subcommittee declared today ir
can not get the information it needs
in order to legislate honestly on a 8.
cent or a 7-cent street car measure
because 1t can not get from the Public
Utilities Commission as now consti.
tuted the information it requires
1t was admitted by Byers Nick.
Bachman,- chief accountant for the
Public Utilities Commission; by Maj.
w. f. r. Covell, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner. and by William Mex.
Clayton, attorney for the Federation
OF Citizens Associations. that valua.
tions of public utilities and reports
made by the commission, with stats.
teal information furnished TO tho
House District committee, have little
value because they do not represent a
fair valuation of the properties as
sion through it's own accountant, but
are based solely on figures supplied
by the individual companies
Issue Brought to Head.
This information, which has been
seeping through all of the Public
Uui1tIeS hearings, was brought to a
head today by questions asked Hfr.
Backman by members Of the subcom-
mittee. especially Representative Bow
man, Republican, of West Virginia.
and Representative Hammer, Demo
Crat, of North Carolina. Mr.. Bow
man brought out that the Public
Utilities Commission has never been
able to make q complete check by ita
own accountants. but accepts the re
ports OF the companies, and that he
ports made by the Public Utilities
Commission to the District Commits
sioners are what the companies them.
selN eS would make.
Mr.. Bowman asked: "Is 1t fair to
yourself and to the committee to-
make statements and report as com
Fing from the Public Utilities Com
mission which are really nothing else
but the reports made by the utilities
companies.
Would it not be better and fairer
TO yourself and to the committee TO
make a frank statement that 1t Is
! impossible tor you to give fair and
: true statement; that because of lack
of help you are unable 70 make
these studies yOurself?"
Turning 10 his associates on the
committee, Mr.. Bowman said: We
cannot get the >13cts we need from
the Public Utilities Commission be-
cause they cannot make the necea-
nj lttat
! Turning to Maj. Covell. Mr.. Bowman
said: 1T would be far better for
you to come in and tell us you have
not made the audit we supposed you
were making There is not single
| soul connected with the Public Ctlli-
ties Commission that knows q thinS
, about what we are really trying to
! find out as fair basis to correct
the situation that exists.
Fault Lies with House.
"The fault is with the House itself.
| because we have not furnished you
with the help and money you needed
to do the work we have given you
! to do
! Representative Gasque, Democrat,
of South Carolina said: I'VE have
nothing to act on here because Wo
haven't the information We need and
| no chance to get it. The first thing
to do is to remedy the situation by
providing properly to have the survey
| made"
Mai. Covell told the committee that
at last "the right note has been sound
| ed by Mr.. Bowman. That is the real
/ difficulty against which l have been
| fighting ever since l came to work In
| the District Building" He explained
that he had made fight before the
! Budget Bureau and hopes Tor some
relief during the next year through
one additional employe. Maj. CoveI
said he has prepared two bills to re-
lieve the situation, one for reorganiza-
| tion of the public utility work with in
! creased legal assistance and the other
to modify the public utility act or 1913
by providing funds. through the pub
lie utilities companies themselves. 10
get a revaluation. MIR. Hammer
0C,orfinued on Page - Column 81