Evening star., 1932-05-13
GEORGE B. FRASER
TEMPORARY HEAD
OF GAS COMPANY
Woods Resignation Accept.
ed at Special Meeting
of Directors.
ACT HELD VIOLATION
or COMMISSION ORDER
Gen. Patrick to Confer on Future
Action of Utilities
Body.

George B. Fraser, vice president OF
the Washington Gas Light Co., today
took temporary command Of the az
fairs of the concern, pending the Sc
lection of a successor to George A.
@. Wood. who late yesterday resigned
as president.
woods resignation came a few hours
after information had been given the
Public Utilities Commission that out
of-town interests controlling the gas
company were planning to oust him.
1t was accepted by the board OF di-
rectors at a special meeting late IN
the afternoon-a session which the
utilities Commission tried unsuccess-
fully to prevent.
When the commission learned that
the meeting was called to consider
Woods resignation, notice was sent 10
Wood and the office of Wilton j. LAM
bert. general counsel for the gas, COM
pany. that q session Of the directors
would be considered violation OF the
commissions order forbidding majority
stock to be voted while owned by the
present holders. Lambert said he did
not receive the notice. At any rate,
the meeting was held, but Wood did not
attend.
No Action Indicated.
While the commission Is said to con-
strue the holding of the meeting de-
fiance of Its order, there are no indi-
cations that anything will be done
about It, Maj. Gen. Mason M. Pat
rick, chairman of the commission
frankly admitted that the situation Is
. puzzling one.
be DONE" he said
Later In the day Gen. Patrick intends
TO confer with william A. Roberts, as
sistant corporation counsel assigned to
public utilities, to consider what steps
the commission might take against the
directors
Two Vacancies Remain.
Aside from accepting Woods resig-
nation, the directors elected Robert ID.
Weaver, president Of the Georgetown
Gas Light Co., to I'LL Woods vacancy on
the board Two other vacancies were
not filled. however. These were caused
by the resignation some time ago Of
Corcoran Thom and Albert E. Peirce,
president OF the Central Public Service
Corporation Of Chicago.
Fred s. Burroughs of the Chase, Har-
fis, Forbes Corporation was among the
directors who attended the meeting,
and he returned to New York immedi-
ateiy after its close, Fraser and Lam
bert also took part.
The election Of Weaver as a director
IN the Washington Co. gave rise TO
rumors that he might be named Woods
successor. Frazer and Lambert also
have been prominently mentioned for
the post, q lucrative one, which paid
Wood $4,000 q year.
Cash Deal Seen.
Wood Is said to have offered his res
tsnation as a result Of a deal and q
cash settlement Of claims by him. The
amount involved was not disclosed, but
1t was said to be considerably less than
the $4,000 mentioned In earlier re-
ports. The $4,000 was said to have
represented Woods salary for two years,
to cover the unexpired term Of his con-
tract. and $4,000 commission on the
purchase of the Hyattsville gas system
year ago for the Cenral Public Serv-
ice Co.
In addition to determining whether any
action can be taken against the direc-
tors for meeting when ordered not to
DO so, the commission also plans to
carefully study the minutes of brief
and stormy session of the stockholders
Monday, which was adjourned because
Of the lack Of quorum.
Ask for Minutes.
Following publication in The Star of
q statement by Julian Pierce, q stock
holder. who attended the meeting. the
commission sent for a copy Of the
minutes. Pierce charged that Wood
was temporarily deposed as chairman
Of the meeting after he declared
quorum was not present, and that the
minutes were thereafter altered so as to
omit any reference to the recent order
OF the commission forbidding the voting
Of the majority stock.