Evening star., 1932-05-12
WOOD CUSTER PLAN
| SEEN IN GAS ROW
Effort to Remove Chief Re.
ported-NeW Meeting
Is Called Off.
Continued From First Page.)

against his strenuous objection.
Pierce said the stockholders repre-
sented at the meeting overrode Wood
and had stricken from the records an
announcement by the gas company
president that he had been served with
a copy of the commissions recent order
forbidding voting of the majority stock.
The action OF the stockholders was
interpreted in public utility circles as
indicating that the out-of-town inter-
ests controlling the gas company pro-
posed to ignore the commissions order.
BY removing Woods statement from the
minutes, it was pointed out, none Of the
stockholders will be officially advised
of the order.
Pierce Gives Details.
Details of the meeting, as outlined by
Mr.. Pierce, follow:
George A. G. Wood, president of the
company, called the meeting to order.
He asked the secretary of the company
to give him certified list of the stock
holders qualified to vote. He then stated
that he had been served with an order
by the Public Utilities Commission pro-
hibiting the owners of 109,176 shares Of
the 10000 shares of the company from
voting at the meeting. He thereupon
declared the meeting adjourned until
May IS because of the lack of
quorum of the stock.
I'm the meantime Wilton ]. Lam
bert, general counsel for the gas COM
pany walked across the Office and
conferred with Arthur Dean, said to
represent Sullivan & Cromwell, New
York attorneys for the Chase-Harris-
Forbes-Pierce group, officially charged
by the Public Utilities Commission
with having obtained control OF the
local gas system by evasion Of the law.
Immediately after MIR. Wood had
adjourned the meeting Mr.. Lambert
asked Mr.. Wood to reconsider his ad-
refused to do. Mr.. Lambert then said
he would appeal from Mr.. Woods de-
cision. Mr.. Wood said there was moth
ing to appeal, that majority of the
stock was not present and the meeting
was adjourned Mr.. Lambert insisted
upon his appeal, instructed the vice
president of the company to put the
motion nullifying the adjournment.
Motion Is Carried.
This motion was carried by Mr.. Lam
bert and his associates. Mr.. Lambert
then made a motion that there De
stricken from the minutes the entire
reference made by Mr.. Wood to the
order served upon him by the Public
Utilities Commission, prohibiting the
owners of the 109,176 shares from vot-
ing at the meeting. This motion was
carried by Mr.. Lambert and his as
sociates and the deleted minutes merely
record the fact that the meeting was
adjourned because OF the absence OF
quorum of the stock.
Neither Mr.. Lambert nor Mr.. Dean
made any explanation of their reason
for not desiring to have the minutes
record what actually occurred. In their
changed form the minutes are entirely
incorrect.
at is also interesting to note that
Mr.. Lambert implied that none OF the
parties mentioned in the order OF the
Public Utilities Commission as owning
the 109.176 shares Of the stock OF the
gas company is recorded in the records
of the company as owning tnat SpocK.
From the legal point of view, 1t Is an
interesting question as to whether Mr.'
Lambert and his minority associates
had the right to depose the president OF
the Washington Gas Light Go. as chair
man of the meeting and strike from the
minutes not an error, but statement
of absolute fact"
Lambert Defends Action.
Mr.. Lambert explained his effort to
prevent any reference 70 the eroer Oh
the commission getting into the ofheial
records was solely for the protection Of
the stockholders. Acknowledgment OF
the receipt of service of that order, ne
pointed out, would have prejudieed the
case of the stockholders and tied their
hands" in any legal developments that
might grow out of the order.
Furthermore, Mr.. Lambert declared
none of the stockholders referred TO
in the commissions order was repre-
sented at the meeting. Slightly more
than 1000 shares were represented, he
said, and they were owned by Wash
ington interests. ,.-
There could have been no business
transacted at the meeting Monday be-
cause a quorum was lacking, and II
would have been improper for the
minutes to carry anything except men
ton of the fact that a meeting was
not held on account OF the lack OF
quorum" said Mr. Lambert. "Mr.
Wood was out of order in even men
tioning the commissions order"