Evening star., 1927-03-07
PUBLIC UTILITIES
BOARD SWORN IN
ChiIdress Named Chairman
and Brand Vice Chairman
at First Meeting.

The Districts new Public Utilities
Commissioners were inducted into Of
fee today and organized Immediately
for work. John w. Childress was
elected chairman and Col. Harrison
Brand, jr., vice chairman.
No questions of policy were dis.
cussed at the organization meeting
which followed the inaugural cere.
monies. Aside from its election of its
chairman and vice chairman. the
commission adopted the motion to con-
tinue the transaction Of business
under the same rules of the old com.
mission and designated its regular
meetings for Mondays at 2 pm. and
Thursdays at 10 am.
The organization meeting was at
tended by the full membership of the
new commission, Engineer Commits
sioner j.. Franklin Bell, Col. Brand
and Mr.. Childress. Ralph B. Fleharty
the peoples counsel, also was present
Oath Is Administered.
The oath of office was administered
to members Of the commission and
Mr.. Fleharty by Frank E. Cunning
ham. chief clerk of the District
Supreme Court. The ceremonies were
held in the boardroom of the District
Building in the presence of friends
and relatives of the new officials, the
District Commissioners and employees
Of the commission. The Washington
Railway & Electric Co. was the only
public utility corporation represented
As chairman of the Board of Dis
trict Commissioners, Proctor L.
Dougherty introduced members of the
commission and Mr.. Fleharty. The
inaugural speeches of the Utility Com
missioners and the Peoples Counsel
were brief. Both Mr.. ChiIdress and
Mr.. Fleharty expressed appreciation
for the honor bestowed upon them by
President Coolidge and promised to
serve the District to the best of their
ability. Col. Brand. whose appoint.
ment to the commission was made
sim multaneously with the withdrawal
of the nomination of Benjamin F..
Adams. read hastily prepared speech
Of about 120 words.
''It has given me great pleasure to
be called upon to serve the District
OF Columbia as a member of this
commission" he said. II have, of
course. had no time to study the
varied duties of this board, and that
consequently will be my first pro-
cedure.
Cooperation Pledged.
II come to this Office with no pre-
conceived opinions and intend to work
with the other members Of the COM
mission to the end that the Public
Utilities act of March 4, 1913, as
amended, will continue to be carried
out in a manner guided by legal deci-
sions and sound economic principles,
to the end that full justice may be
done In all matters to the people Of
this great community and the utilities
serving the people"
Commissioner Bell, who presided at
the exercises, read at the outset quo
tationS from the act under which the
retiring commission functioned and
also from the act creating the new
commission, which sets forth it's pow
ers and duties. He pointed out, too,
that the qualifications Of the new
commissioners had been so carefully
scrutinized that he thought the new
members are eligible to "enter the
holy gate"
Dougherty Promises to Help.
Commissioner Dougherty pledged
the cooperation Of the Board of Com
missioners to the new Utilities Com
mission and explained that the re-
sponsibilities In connection with public
utility affairs, which have rested on
himself and Commissioner Taliaferro.
were being shifted to younger and
stronger shoulders"
A brief reception followed the in
auguration of the new commissioners.
Daniel E. Garges. secretary to the
Board of Commissioners, made the in
Productions.
Immediately after the organization
Of the commission all of its employees
took new oath OF Office, as prescribed
In the new public utilities act.