Evening star., 1935-11-05
PEPCO WILL FIGHT
AGE. INVASION OF
ARLINGTON FIELD
Ready to Meet Threat Made
by Rival Concern
Nearby.
WIRE. STOCK CONTINUES
TO ADVANCE TO $65O
Power Company Extending Lines
and Increasing Service in
Nearby Virginia County.

| The Potomac Electric Power Co, It
was reported today, is preparing to
meet a threatened invasion of the
Washington utility field by the AS
/ sociated Gas e. Electric Co.. with
competition in the giant holding COM
pany's newly acquired territory in
! Arlington County.
| Working through its subsidiary, the
! Braddock Light e. Power Co., the
P. E. P. Co. already has extended its
lines in the county and added about IS
new customers, the largest being the
new Colonial Village development, now
housing 275 families. The develop
ment is on Wilson boulevard between
Rosslyn and Clarendon and plans have
been completed to build an addition
TO house 426 more families.
W. r. E. Stock Still Advances.
In the meantime, the bid price Of
the common stock of the Wasilin, toa
Railway & E'ectric Co.. which o. rs
the P. z. P. Co.. continued its sensa-
tional price rise on the Washing ton
Stock Exchange. The bid price jumped
from $500 to $3.50 a share. after rising
yesterday from S40o to $500. Today's
$3.50 bid brings the market price of
the common stock within S100 of the
$3.50 probable value of the 25 par
ticipating shares which it is proposed
to issue against each share of the
common stock. The identity Of the
bidders was not disclosed. None Of
the stock was offered for sale, how
ever, although 10 shares Of railway
company preferred sold at SLOT, the
price it has held for some time.
The prospective battle between the
P. E. P. Co. and the Associated for
the Arlington County territory ap.
pears in utility circles as an outgroWth
of the move of the North American
Co. 10 divest itself Of control Of its
Washington holdings. of which the
power company is one. Nc-th Amer
lean and Associated have long been
rivals.
Foundation for the fight is under.
| stood to have been laid when Assoc
ciated acquired the Virginia Public
Service Co., which serves the major
part Of Arlington County with elec-
tricity. North American at that time
had not reached a decision to re.
linquish control Of its Washington
properties. Even if the North Amer.
ican is permitted by the Securities
| and Exchange Commission to step out
of the Washington field. the P. E. P.
Co. is reported to be in position to
! take care of additional Arlington
County customers.
Extension Sought for Years.
Extension Of the P. E. P. Co. serv-
ice in Arlington County has been
sought for several years. The Ar
lington Public Utilities Commission in
1888 initiated a move to have the
company extend its lines throughout
the county As result, 1900 Vir-
ginia Public Service Co. subscribers
signed petitions requesting the service.
The P. z. P. Co.. however. failed to
! take any definite action on the petit
! tionS because of an agreement report
| ed to have existed between former
/ owners of the Virginia Public Service
and the North American not to enter
into direct competition. That agree
ment, it was said, expired with the
sale Of Virginia Public Service to the
! Associated, and opened the way for
the p E. P. Co. to go farther into Vir.
/ ginia with its service.
Wide difference in rates between the
| P E. P. Co. and Virginia Public Serv-
| ice is the principal reason the Arling-
ton County commission sought to
! change electricity service.
The Braddock Light g. Power Co.
rates are substantially the same as
| those in the District. Current is sold
to its Arlington County residential
subscribers for SO cents a kilowatt
hour for the first so kilowatt hours
and then drops to 81 cents for the
| next so kilowatt hours.
Virginia Service Rates Higher.
For substantially the same service
Virginia Public Service charges 10
cents a kilowatt hour for the first 10
kilowattS, and drops to 7i2 cents for
the next 80 kilowatt hours. The third
step is cents kilowatt hour for the
next SIS. Virginia Public Service. how
ever, has a so-called combination rate
for residence subscribers using electric
refrigerators. which is cents for the
first 25 kilowatt hours, and 81 cents
for electricity consumed in excess OF
| that amount.
Arlington County in the last few
| years has become a choice territory for
utility corporations because of its rapid
growth. Hundreds of new homes have
been constructed in that period and
other large developments are contem-
plated, especially along the new Lee
Boulevard.
The Potomac Electric Power Co..
under its charter, is authorized to ex-
tend service throughout Arlington
County and also into Fairfax County.
The company also is said to be capable
Of taking care of any extensions.
In the meantime, William A. Rob.
erts, peoples counsel before the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commission, con.
tinued his investigation into the move
Of the North American to release its
Washington properties.
Dr. William Mcclellan, who sue
ceeded William F. Ham as president
of the Washington Railway & Electric
Co., has turned over to Roberts copies
of all documents filed by the North
American with the Securities and Ex-
change Commission asking for permis-
sion to take this action.
North American Is proposing its
81, 1877 shares in the Washington Rail-
way g. Electric Co. be put into tho
hands of a non-voting trust and par
ticipating shares in the trust be sold