Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-03
More Gas Deals.

1t Is queer SOrC OF bargain Il""
the Central Public Service Corporation
Of Illinois offers the Public Utilities
Commission. In effect, 1t amounts to
promise to quit extracting certain profits
from the Washington gas companies
and to give up certain plans and moneys,
provided the Public Utilities Commits
sion agrees to permit the Washington
gas companies to pay the Central Pub
lie Service Corporation some OF the bills
already rendered, payment Of which was
stopped by the Public Utilities Commits
sion.
The bargain is a queer one in more
WAYS than one. The assessments against
the washington gas companies, which
are really assessments against the gas
consumers of Washington, are, JUSTIFIED
or they are not. If they are justified,
representing hard money paid for serv-
ices rendered, and the relationship be-
tween the Illinois company and the
Washington company Is a legal rela-
tionship. permitted by law, then the
moneys should be paid.
If the assessments are not justified,
n they represent manipulations of
charges and fees Of one sort or another
for which there Is no warrant, and
II the relationship between the WASH
1ngton companies and the Illinois cor
poration is contrary to law and illegal,
they should not be paid.
II the Illinois corporation Is willing
10 surrender fee or q charge Of
S68, 500 assessed against the Washing
ton companies IN return for the pay
ment Of certain other sums, 1t IS seek
ing to drive bargain for some purpose
Either the $68,500 was unjuStified In
the first place or the bargain expected as
the price of giving 1t up will be more
profitable. II four-cent service"
charge per thousand cubic feet of nat
ural gas was justified In the first place,
It is still justified. If It is eliminated,
there is some very good reason for its
elimination that is not apparent on
the surface.
II the management of the District
gas light companies by the Illinois
corporation costs the local COM
panies as high as 500 a day for the
hire of an expert who concludes, after
lengthy investigation, that the District
gas companies should buy their coal
and their stationery from the Illinois
corporation or its subsidiaries, 1t is an
expensive management that the Wash
ington companies should be ordered to
forego as an unnecessary luxury, regard
less Of the Illinois corporations stipula-
tons regarding the terms under which
1t Is willing to withdraw from such
management.
The Public Utilities Commission need
not concern itself with offers and bar
gains from the gas companies. 1t is in
q position to fix rates, to approve or dis
approve certain expenditures to enforce
the law regarding ownership and con-
troll Of the local companies, and to OBJ
tain testimony regarding such ownership
and control.
The Public Utilities Commission seems
already to have reached q position
where it can save the gas consumers of
Washington several thousands Of dol
lars. by preventing the payment of GER
tain fees and charges by the local COM
panies. As result of this present in
quiry the gas consumers of Washington
expect even q more tangible saving,
effected through q reduction in rates
The consumers are beginning to under
stand some Of the things they pay for in
their gas bills.