Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-29
HARTMANN TAKES
| UTILITIES OATH Of
OFFICE ON FRIDAY
Swearing In of Gen. Patrick
Is Expected by Next
Week.
BUSY CALENDAR AHEAD
OF NEW COMMISSIONERS
REGULATIONS Under O'Fallon De-
cision Probably Among Early
Undertakings.


pointment as member of the Public
Utilities Commission was confirmed by
the Senate yesterday, will take the oath
of office in room 102. District Building,
at 10 am Friday. The oath will be
administered by Frank E. Cunning
nam clerk of the District Supreme
Court.
Maj. Gen Mason M, Patrick,
U. S. A., retired, whose appointment
also was confirmed yesterday, will be
sworn in later date, not yet set. 1t
cannot take place Friday, however, AS
Gen. Patrick was appointed to fill the
unexpired term of Chairman John w.
Childress, resigned. Mr.. Childress'
resignation takes effect midnight Fri
day, and Gen. Patrick may take the
oath sometime Saturday or Monday.
One Month Term.
Gen. Patrick's appointment, accord
ing to the law governing the terms OF
public utility commissioners. is for one one
month only. He was appointed to I'LL
the unexpired term of Mr.. Childress,
whose term would have ended June 80.
It was said at the White House today,
however, that he would be Immediately
reappointed-
Besides the usual undertaking to
support the Constitution of the United
States and its Government, the new
| commissioners must take an oath that
they are not interested financially
| directly or indirectly, in the stock or
bonds of any local or foreign utility
corporation.
The District Commissioners today
| called on Gen Patrick and Mr.. Hart
mann and paid their respects to the
| new appointeeS. After returning to the
| District Building they went Immediately
into a board meeting to finish up sew
eral routine matters left over from the
session yesterday
The new commission. which probably
will be organized by Monday. will ster
right into a welter of work. The two
new commissioners and Engineer COM
! missioner William B. Ladue, who holds
! his membership on the commission eX
/ officio, will be called upon to deal with
| important questions affecting services
rates and valuations for WaShington's
street cars. telephone system and gas
service The problem of constructing
an adequate bus terminal for the
Capital will be before them. A recent
decision by the United States Supreme
| Court in the st. Louis 81 OFallon
| Railroad case has crystallized new ideas
on valuation of utilities properties.
Problems Summarized.
| Taking up the matters in the order
referred to, the following is a summary
of the problems that Immediately con-
| front the commission:
Street cars: The merger agreement
which failed of enactment at the lest
! regular session of Congress, will expire
June 80. 1t is considered unlikely that
! the present special session of Congress
will do anything about it. The COM
/ mission undoubtedly will make another
| effort to bring one about.
The Capital Traction Co. is on the
verge of asking for an increase of fares
on the ground that it is making an in
sufficient return upon its $26 900 ,o0o
! valuation as granted by the District
| Court of Appeals Informed opinion
| at the District Building is to the effect
that no increase will be granted unless
| new valuation of the properties is
made, a proceeding which will probably
! take year or more.
| Telephone: A two-year agreement
between the commission and the Chesa-
peake SS Potomac Telephone Co., fixing
! the rate for domestic telephone service
| at S475 per month, expires Saturday
| At the time this agreement was signed
| it was attacked by William NICK. Clay
| ton, veteran chairman Of the public
utilities committee of the Federation of
| Citizens Associations, who contended
| that II the commission had insisted on
strict Interpretation of the law and
the figures, the rate could have been
made lower. Another valuation of the
company is not unlikely.
Hats Valuation Proceedings.
Gas: This is one of the most intri-
| cate of the commissions many prob
| lens. A valuation proceeding for the
! Washington and Georgetown Gas Light
companies was halted by Peoples Coun-
sci Ralph B. Fleharty last Winter when
he insisted that the companies could
not go forward with the case unil al
appeal from the first valuation placed
on them by the commission. which had
been dormant in District Supreme
| Court seven years, had been settled
| The commission and the companies
then argued the old appeal before JUS
tice Peyton Gordon, who has not yet
handed down his decision
Should Justice Gordon rule that the
! valuation must proceed, the commits
sion will find itself unable to call to the
stand the engineer who made the ap.
praisalS Of the plant on its behalf, H
Carl Wolf who has accepted private
employment in Chicago and notified
the commission he will not be available
for further testimony. This would NEAR
that the appraiSalS would have to be-
done over by another engineer, jot
that occupies several months.
Bus terminal; Agitation for an ade.
quate bus terminal has occupied con-
siderable attention OF the commission
| recently On May Is a public hearinz
was held to consider possible site; fol
the terminal. but no decision was reach
ed. Interstate, busses now stop on the
streets in front of most of the down
town hotels and elsewhere, causing
traffic congestion.
The work of the commission has beer
practically at standstill since March
4, when the Senate adjourned without
confirming the recess appointment 81
Lieut. Col. Harrison Brand, jr., one Of
the civilian members. For the past II
days Chairman Childress has been alb
sent In New York, and many routine
matters are on the docket awaiting set
tlement.