Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-18
CHICAGO INTERESTS
SAW IN BERT PECK
A HELPFUL MAN
Officials There Suggested
Hiring Former Utilities
Commission Engineer.
QUESTION BROUGHT UP
IN SEPTEMBER, 1880
WYldes' Message to Head of Local
Gas Company Referred to
"0ur Legislation"

=. Information that the Central Public
service Corporation of Chicago was
considering hiring of Bert H. Peck, CHIEF
engineer Of the Public Utilities Com
nilsson, as early as September, 1880
was received by the commission today IN
the form of a copy Of letter from
vice president William H. Wildes OF
the Chicago concern to President George
A q. wood Of the Washington Gas
light Co. The letter hints that Peck
woyid be helpful to the local company
nencjin0 his employment, IN the COM
i5any's problems with the commission.
peck was finally hired by the local
nonpany in March, 1881. Yesterday ne
MAS disqualified as an expert witness
on gas pressures by the company Wnen
PEOPLES Counsel Richmond b. keecn
produced a report made last OCTOBER by
Mr.. Peck, in which he favored preSsuLeS
of 4 or S inches. The company Is now
contending for a lO-incn maximum
pressure.
Wood Admits Letter.
THE letter has not been used IN EVIL
Aence hut Mr.. Wood admitted having
Teceiyed It. although he declined to
discuss IL further. 1t is expected that
the letter will be introduced later ana
thaE an effort will be made TO secure
the presence Of Mr.. Wldes as . Wiz
ness ON the question OF mterIerence
by the Chicago company N sns a.
fairs az the local company. Such tesu-
,, Nom Is being sought by the commits
-io,, In an EFFORT to establish its case
that the Central Public Service Corpo-
ration is the real owner OF the Wasn-
ingeon Gas Light Co. In violation OF
the Ia Toilette anti-merger act. 800
The letter, dated September H. lsSU'
A0 .pear Mr. wood: have just learned
that Mr.. Bert H. Peck, whom nave
known very well for many years. -
recently been appointed cnieI englneeft
of the commission OF the DiSOElce "
s.Mr peck formerly operated the
southern Illinois Power 81 Light CO., IA
which INV former associates were very
much interested at one time.
s.AEight He Helpful"
81 have told Mr.. Peck that would
iook around to see If we had sornetnlng
IN our organization that we coulo oueI
him which would be more prontapAe
Thought IN mind that some time algeI
we cot our legislation through we nignt
and q place for him and, in the mean
time. he might be very helpful 70 you IN
CToI,r problems before the commission.
( am sure that Mr.. Peck viii do every
thing that would be possible"
judging from the date OF the ls.peT,
srolIr legislation" refers to the Dill 10
merge the washington and Georgetown
Gas Light Companies. That OH We
introduced at the last session OF Con
r-ress. but failed Of enactment.
AT the hearing today. on the petition
5 In increase It's preSsures the company
practically completed its case ana the
firEt Commission witness was called 10
the stand. J. r. Mcqueen, CHIEF OF
tine service department of the com
nany. was asked to produce records re-
iating to adjustments to appliances
made by the company between Ocgo-
Der /, 1880, and September l, 1881.
These records, now at the gas CON-
r,any's ofices, viii be produced later
4 practical demonstration of the eff
fects OF varying levels Of pressure on
the working Of gas appliances, which
will be staged at the company's lab
oratories. will complete the companys
case. The date for the demonstrat iop
has not been SET
Tells of Complaints.
Mr.. Mcqueen testified today that the
first general complaints of maladiust-
rnent Of gas appliances came to him IN
FEBRUARY or March Of this year. Most
OF the complaints, he said, were that
the consumers were not receiving
enough gas.
This IS q condition caused usually by
oyerioading the service pipe with too
many appliances and may be corrected
either BY an increase in pressure In
the distributor line or by building an
additional service part from the dis
tributor, the latter done partly at the
expense Of the customer according TO
a regular schedule Of charges, Mr.. Nc
Queen said. He then described the
methods Of making adjustments which
consists largely Of either cleaning the
orifice through which gas is admitted
to a burner or adjusting the air shut
ter which admits air TO mix with the
gas for proper combustion or both.
When Mr.. Mcqueen was excused to
get records from his company's offlces,
Mr.. Reynolds took the stand and intro
duced additional charts made by the
commission showing weekly and month
ly fluctuations in gas pressures.