Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-20
UTILITY CONTROL
PLAN IS ENDORSED
District Board Approves Idea
of Gas and Electricity
Transmission Pacts.

Control over interstate Transmission
Of gas and electricity, through negotia-
ton Of compscts with neighboring
State commissions, subject to approval
by Congress, will be sought by the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commission, 1t was
announced today.
the principle of the plan advanced by
the State Of New York, which has set
up a new commission to deal with the
subject and which proposes shortly to
ask congressional approval Of regula-
ton OF such utility service by mutual
agreements between States affected by
the same utility questions.
Regulation Of the charges assessed
for such interstate Transmission of gas
and electricity now is said to be lacking
The matter was studied 1T today S
session Of the District Commission, and
afterward 1t was reported the commits
sion will ask Congress to authorize it to
enter into the proposed compacts with
neighboring States concerning the In
terstate transmission of gas and cleo
tricity.
Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chair
man OF the commission, drafted q let
ter to the New York body. declaring 1t
would be more desirable from the stand
point OF State and District commissions
than to leave the matter to some Fed
eral agency, as suggested In some quar-
ters
This was In agreement with the posi-
ton taken by the New York Commits
sion.
The matter was brought to the atten-
ton of the local commission in q letter
from Warren T. Thayer, chairman of
the New York State Commission on In
terstate Transmission Of Power, who in
formed the local body Of the new system
set up in New York, and asked for
comment.
Three steps would have to be taken
before the District could be made q
party to such treaties" First, Con-
gress would have to authorize the local
utilities commission to enter into such
compActs the District Government
would have to obtain approval by Con-
gress In general legislation, and finally
Congress would have to approve any
compacts agreed to by the District
agencies.
The Warrington and Georgetown Gas
Light Cos. now are receiving nat
ural gas from Pennsylvania and West
Virginia sources. Since this is inter-
state transmission. the local commission
lacks authority to regulate rates. The
Warrington gas companies, also, retail
gas to the Rosslyn Gas Co., which serves
northern Virginia. The local commits
sion and the Virginia authorities lack
power to regulate charges In this inter-
state transmission, it is pointed out.
The Potomac Electric Power Co, has
made connections with the power plant
on the Susquehanna River for use in
emergencies. The local commission
lacks authority to regulate the charges
made In that case, although 1t regulates
the local retail power service.
The New York commissioner, in his
letter. explained that Congress must
approve the plans Of the New York
agency before 1t could assume regula-
ton Of interstate transmission Of power
1T Is our belief that many othe,
States will be interested IN this method
Of closing the existing gap In regulation
Of operating public utilities" Thayez
wrote.
"As you know, there has been q
movement underway for several years
to obtain Federal regulation Of such
interstate transmission. We feel 1t 4
much more desirable from the stand.
point Of the States that full control
over operating agencies should be re-
! tanned BY the resrective StateR"