Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-21
BELL STAND HIT
/ BY GAS CO. HEAD
Preston Says Refusal to Act
[ on Retaliation Plea Is
an Injustice.

Refusal of the Public Utilities Com
mission to grant the request of the
Washington Gas Light Co. for a reval-
uation of it's physical property was
described as a denial of justice" by
Ord Preston, president of the COM
pany, in a letter to the commission
today.
The company asked for q revalu-
alton January 10, and on July En-
gineer Commissioner j. Franklin Bell
chairman of the commission. advised
the company that in view of the fact
that no money was available for the
work and because of the passage by
Congress of the bill recognizing the
commission it was thought inadviS>
able to initiate hearings on the re-
valuation at this time. In his reply
to Commissioner Bells letter, Mr.
Preston declined to concur in these
reasons. The letter follows:
II acknowledge your letter of July
in which you state that the Public
Utilities Commission deems it mad
visable to initiate hearings on the val
uation of the property of this COM
pany for reasons therein set forth.
This company does not concur in
the assertion that the reasons stated
In your letter afford any valid or just
UctSIS lOT lIlS uSCllIlStllOn VI Tic COIIl-
mission to proceed with the valuation
of the property of this company used
and useful for the convenience of the
public.
"On January 10, 1926, this company
filed with the commission a true and
correct inventory of its physical prop
erty, made by engineers employed for
that purpose. At that time we re-
quested the commission to make such
checks of the inventory as would
satisfy the commission of the ac-
curacy thereof and that the commits
sion give notice. as required by law,
of public hearings to be had for the
purpose of determining the fair value
of the property of this company.
I'VE cannot acquiesce in the asser-
ton that the failure of Congress to
enact the legislation making appro-
priationS as proposed by the commits
sion affords any just ground for the
denial of the request of this company
for the revaluation of it's property.
Moreover, the officers of this company
were assured by a representative of
the commission that the commission
would proceed to value the property
of this company Immediately upon
the adjournment of Congress, even
though the proposed legislation failed
Of enactment.
Disagrees on Second Reason.
In addition, we find ourselves un-
able to concur in the suggestion of
the commission that the bill which
was passed by the Senate and House,
but not signed by the President, MAX
ing changes in the personnel of the
commission, affords any valid or just
reason for the refusal of the commits
sion to proceed to value the property
of this company.
The bill referred to in your letter
specifically provides that the present
commission shall continue to hold of
flee and exercise the powers of the
commission until two commissioners
are appointed and take Office under
the provisions of this act
I'm view of the present status of
said bill, it must be apparent that the
existing commission is not thereby de-
prived of any of its powers, and that
1t may function as it has in the past
without regard to the contemplated
changes in the personnel of the COM
mission.
'Inasmuch as the valuation of the
property Of this company. as now
flxed by the Public Utilities Commits
sion for rate-making purposes, is so
much less than the true value of said
property, we are forced to conclude
that the refusal of the request Of this
company amounts to denial of jus
tice."