Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-18
Member Of the Associated Press.
Penetrating the Gas Maze.

There is small possibility that the
terms of the La Toilette anti-merger
act can be successfully invoked either
to expose or to break up the ramif1ca-
lions Of the gas trust now serving the
consumers in the District Of Columbia.
That law, as has been shown, Is too
easily evaded to stand as any sort Of a
barrier against the encroachment Of
foreign utility corporations in the SIM
pie process of taking over the local
field, lock stock and barrel.
But much should be accomplished
through the hearings arranged by the
Public Utilities Commission for this
Fall, when the recent transactions
through which ownership and control
of the local gas companies have passed
to outside interests will be made the
subject of thorough inquiry. The hear
ings may furnish the basis for another
test suit under the provisions Of the La
Toilette act. What is more important
still, the hearings should supply the
Public Utilities Commission with ex-
tremely interesting data for the en-
nghtenment of Congress in its necessary
study of the need for revision Of the
La Toilette law and its proper amend
ment, or for the setting up Of new safe
guards that will prevent the exploita-
ton of local public utility patrons for
the enrichment Of utility grabbers.
1t is to be presumed that the Public
Utilities Commission and Its able in
vestigating attorney, Mr.. William A.
Roberts. have by this time been able
to penetrate some Of the bewildering
mazes of holding companies and other
devices for the support of which the
gas consumers in washington must pay
through their gas bills. Their tnVesti-
CATION of the business began some
months ago, the Department Of Justice
lending Its aid, with the revelation Of
the apparent purchase Of the local con-
Germs by the Central Public Service
Corporation Of Chicago.
Since then there have been other
interesting developments, such as the
recant order Of the commission for
bidding the payment of certain moneys
by the washington concerns to the
pnrent companies without flrst sub
hitting the payments to the commits
sson for approval; the election Of A. E.
PIERCE, president of the Central Public
Service Corporation Of Illinois, which
controls the washington Gas Light Co.,
10 q place on the board of directors Of
the Georgetown Gas Light Co, which,
In turn, is owned and controlled by
sha washington Gas Light Co., and the
apparent payment by the Washington
gas consumers Of four cents thousand
cubic feet over and above the price at
which natural gas is supposed to be
sold and delivered in Washington. The
terms Of the contract by which natural
gas is sold by the Columbia Gas &
Electric Co., and transmitted by the
Maryland Gas Transmission Co., sub
sidiary Of the Columbia, for use by the
washington gas companies, subsidiaries
Of the Central Public Service Corpora
ton Of Chicago, have never been re-
veaIed 70 the Public Utilities Commits
sion. There may not be such contract
IN writing.
The Public Utilities Commission
ought TO be able to unfold an intriguing
story TO washington gas consumers,
and to Congress, OF how they get their
ras who takes the proatS, what these
profits are and Of what they are made