Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-12

rate we do not believe Is a rea sonable
return on the fair valuation of prop
ertv and one we are not ready 10 de
fend, said Maj. Bell
F,xpia ming how the people are not
adequately represented. Mai. Bell said
the public is not represented before
the Public Utilities Commission At
hearings or before the court when
the public utilities corporations have
taken their case to court, nor has
the Public Utilities Commission been
adequately represented in court.
You cannot get legal talent enough
for 81 900 a year TO combat legal
talent that is hired To a total of 500
600 by these corpora tions." declared
Mai Bell.
Mr.. Reid asked: DO YOU want spe-
cial counsel for the Public Utilities
Commission"
Maj. Bell replied: absolutely; if
we had had better legal talent during
the seven years OF litigat ton over the
Potomac Electric Power 60. case. In
which the people Of the District re-
Gently got back 5000 900. we would
have had A much better settlement. |
believe"
He explained that the valuation
was fixed and that this has been multi
fed largely by the action OF the public
utilities in taking the matter into
court. The Potomac Electric Power
Co, settled after seven years by com
promise, and other public utility cases
are still in court.
You should change the law so that.
the Public Utilities Commission should
have every authority in the United
States 10 fix valuations" said Maj.
Bell. The valuation should he one of
property without giving any weight to
manipulation of stock or transporta-
ton survey"
He expressed the belief that the
courts are not equipped with proper
assistance to go into the intricate
mathematical problem of valuation of
public utilities.
Sees Engineering Problem.
That's not a court matter. it is an
engineering valuation matter" Mai.
Bell declared.
incidentally, in discussing the many
and varied duties of the District Com
missioners Maj. Bell declared that the
Zoning work in the National Capital Is
the most satisfactory of any place in
the world.
When questioned by members of the
committee as TO whether other mem
bers of the District Commissioners
who are not engineers and skilled
mathematicians. as IS the Engineer
Commissioner, should be members of
the Public Utilities Commission, Maj.
Bell insisted that il is necessary that
the Commissioners in charge of police
and affic he on the Public Utilities
Commission because of many inter
locking problems.
Mr.. Reid asked You don't want
to get rid Of the powers a s Commits
sioners. but YOU do want to get rid
OF the work."
Mr. Reid questioned whether there
is not now friction among the officials
on trafic matters. and Maj. Bell re
piled that we are headed for better
conditions" Mr.. Reid promptly shot
back: Certainly you couldn't be
headed for worse"
Quotes Dry Leader.
Mr. Rlanton interjected that during
eight months of 1925, under traffic di-
rection the number of deaths had de-
creased from 81 to SO. Mr.. Reid inter
posed. wheeler says that il on &C
count of the Nolstead act"
Chairman Zihlman questioned Maj.
Bell on a statement he had made that
the street railway companies had
spent 100000 for legal talent, and
challenged whether II was fair to the
street car riders to allow that to be
computed into operating expenses on
which an Scent fare is based. az
shown In the letter from the District
Commissioners to the House District
committee. Mr.. Zihlman argued that
there are many items in the operating
expenses which ought not to be
charged to car riders, some Of which
ought to be paid by the public At large
and some of which ought not to be
allowed at all.
The hearing was continued over IN
til next Tuesday morning at 1890
o'clock.