Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-29
CHICAGO CONCERN
FORCED HIM OUT,
WOOD TEST|F|ES
Dictation of Affairs of Gas
Light Company Revealed by
President at Hearing.
CONTROLLERS REMOVAL
TERMED "LAST STRAW"
Witness Says Central Public Serv-
ice Forced Reorganization
of Accounting.

President George A. G. Wood Of the
Washington Gas Light Co. testified to-
day that it was dictation Of the affairs
Of the local company by the Central
Public Service Corporation Of Chicago
which drove him to write letter re-
signing his post last August S.
On the stand in the Public Utilities
Commission inquiry into the ownership
of the company, Wood said the last
straw" that brought his decision to a
head was the now famous organization
chart, later destroyed and now reported
missing from the files of the gas COM
pany. This organization chart was pre-
pared by r. H. Morrison, an account
ant sent by the Central Public Service
Corporation to change the accounting
system OF the local company. Mr.. Wood
said that Morrison showed him the
chart Of a proposed organization OF the
accounting department.
Two Offlcials Dropped.
The chart. he said. showed Morrison
as Superintendent of the department.
and showed Richard A. Ennis, the pres
ent controller, was dropped from his po-
Sition, and so was George 3. Fraser, one
of the vice presidents.
ct said it will be under Mr.. Ennis,
eur controller" Mr.. Wood testified.
HE said, 1T will be under your con-
troller, but your controller viii not be
Ennis
"That was the last straw" Mr.. Wood
concluded.
Mr.. Wood said he had asked the Cen
tral Public Service Corporation to send
down Alfred Hurlburt, their chief en-
ofneer. to furnish the local company
with expert advice and assistance, only
to get rid of another emissary OF the
Central Public Service Corporation, q
Mr.. Battin, who tried to persuade the
local engineers to buy more natural
gas than they needed.
But when Mr.. Hurlburt got here.
Mr.. Wood said that his opinion OF
him was not very high. Among
other adjectives that he used in char
acterizing Hurlburt's advice were Ill
advised, poorly considered, unsound,
worthless and Irritating
Taken out OF His Hands.
Mr.. wood said he had started to
negotiate q contract for purchase OF
natural gas for the local company, but
Central Public Service Corporation ON
cials had taken the matter out OF his
hands and he had no idea how the
Patuxent Gas Co., corporation which
owned neither gas wells nor pipe lines,
the Washington Gas Light Co. az one
stage OF the proceedings.
He said his chief engineer had recon-
mended and that he had approved
plan to buy land adjacent to the east
station on the Anacostia River and
make considerable development Of that
plant, but Hurlburt insisted this plant
be abandoned and that, instead, large
sums of money be spent on the west
-. a41Na1 lie nil he NJ
demned by the Government as part OF
the Rock Creek-Potomac parkway.
He said at one time he had recon-
Ynended a MANAGEMENT contract under
which the Public Service Engineering
Corporation would manage the local
company.
This corporation is a subsidiary Of the
Central Public Service Corporation. He
said he felt he would prefer TO know
sons who were ordering him around
and felt he could accomplish his pur-
pose in that way.
Never Dealt With Trustees.
He said all his dealings with Col.
Albert T. Peirce had been with PIERCE
as president Of the Central Public Serv-
ice CORPORATION and not as owner OF
the Westfeld Trust, and that he had
never had any dealings with the trus-
tees of the Westfleld Trust. 1t is this
trust which, the company's lawyers say
owns indirectly the majority interest IN
the washington Gas Light Co.
The questioning of Mr.. Wood first
eentered around the resignation Of Rob
ert d. weaver. former president of the
Georgetown Gas Light Co, as member
Of the Board Of Directors of the Wash
ineton company. Mr.. Wood said Col
PIERCE sent him word through Wilton
J. Lambert, counsel for the gas COM
pany, that Col. Peirce felt ne ought to
have a seat on the Board Of Directors
Of the local company. Mr.. Wood then
sent Vice President Fraser around to
see Mr.. Weaver, and Mr.. Fraser came
back with Mr.. Weaver's resignation.
Questioned at his home later in the
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 81