Evening star., 1928-11-18
BY LANES 4. CHINN.

The new Public Utilities Commission
created by Congress to relieve the two
| civilian members of the Board of Dis.
| trict Commissioners of the various
| duties connected with administration
of the public utilities act, has beer
functioning since March Z, 1927. 1r
this comparatively brief span OF &c
! months epochal events have occurred
In public utility affairs In the District
far surprising in Importance perhaps
| any single or group of changes that
| marked the 14-year life of the former
commission.
The new commission has readiusted
telephone, electricity and motor bus
rates and successfully delayed an at
tempt to raise street car fares; but its
most notable achievement was the ap-
proval Of q plan for merging the trans
portation lines of the District--an i'm
proverent persistently sought for the
last 20 years. It was coincidence, or
| maybe just stroke of good fortune,
that the first actual steps to CONSOLE
date the transit lines were taken after
the creation Of the new commission. but
whatever 1t Is called, the commission
now stands ready to accept any glory
or praise that follows the final consum-
nation of the uI1if1cation if that comes
to pass.
Merger Pact Ch.ef Feat.
1t is true that Harley Peyton Wilson,
principal owner of the Washington
Rapid Transit 90. and q director In
the great public utility holding corpora
ton, the North American 90. of New
York, was the real guiding genius be-
hind the merger negotiations but had
the Public Utilities Commission turned
down the plan Of consolidation all hope
Of unified operation of the transport
tation lines in the near future would
have died with its action. The com.
mission, therefore. considers the part 1t
played In getting the merger pact before
accomplishment of It's short existence. ~
Aside from approving the unifica-
ton agreement, the commission looks
upon its recent actian n forestallng the
move of the Capital Traction Co. for
10-cent fare pending disposition OF
the merger agreement In Congress as
another outstanding achievement. The
history Of this case Is yet fresh In the
public mind, and whatever the public
thinks Of the outcome. the commission
regards 1t as decisive victory IN It's
favor. For weeks II struggled to flnd o
legal way to deny the car company's
"a, after q hurriedly called conference
with of1cials Of the street railway COM
panieS, announced It's decision TO dis
miss the application without passing
upon or determining any Of the issues
involved.
Unexpected Disposition.
It was an unusual and wholly tln-
expected disposition Of the case, but
was done to avoid the possibility of
jeopardizing congressional approval of
the merger agreement. The car COM
pany, however, is left In q position to
renew its request for higher fare If
Congress ad1ourns next March With
out authorizing uniflcation.
The records OF the commission are
filled with other cases vitality affecting
every user Of q public utility, one OF
which developed about two months
after the new members had taken the
oath Of ONCE and had settled down to
give serious study to their duties. Of
ficials of the Chesapeake q Potomac
Telephone Co. came In on the morn
| ing Of May 13, 1927, and offered to
compromise q rate case that 1t had
been fighting in the courts for two
years.
The compromise meant o reduction
in telephone rates. In addition the
company agreed to make certain re-
funds TO its subscribers and withdraw
Its case from the District Supreme
Court without having a valuation fixed
on It's property by the court.
| The commission liked the proposition
and accepted 1t with q feeling that the
telephone company, after two years oil
| fighting, finally had accepted the former
commissions principles Of valuation as
correct.
Telephone rates were reduced as oi
June 10. 1928, when the former com.
missions order for lower rate wa,
ordered, but which litigation held up
and approximately $4,000 was re.
turned to telephone subscribers whc
had paid the difference between the
old and new rates over period Of
nearly two years.
The reduction brought the rate fol
unlimited service down from $5 q month
to S4.75 and increased the number o.
messages on two-party lines from 50 K
| 40 q month. These rates under thu
compromise agreement will remain ir
effect until June /, 1920, and thereafter
until changed or modified, the valu
alton side Of the case being dormant
during this period.
The next important formal case taker
up ana disposed of by the commission
was an application of the Washington
Rapid Transit Co. for authority to rails
It's rate Of fare to 10 cents cash. Afte
consideration of the case the commits
sion granted the increase on the groun'
that a 10-cent fare was reasonable ant
just With It's 10-cent fare, however
the company has been unable to pa,