Evening star., 1937-01-01
UTILITIES CHANGES
RESULT Of STUDIES
Activity of Commission Is
Responsible for Settle
ment of Problems.

IN one OF the busiest years of its
career, the Public Utilities Commits
sion in 1886 tackled many vital prob
lens affecting transportation, gas,
power and telephone services. and
significant new policies flowed from
its studies.
Final street car re-routing was Or
dered. the Washington Rapid Transit
Co. was merged with the Capital
Transit Co, gas, electric and tele-
phone rates we're reduced and plans
were proposed for the long sought
dissolution OF the foreign control OF
the Washington Gas Light Co.
The new year opens with prospects
of real battles over street car fares.
extension of the use of one-man street
cars, decision on a valuation of the
transit properties for rate-making
purposes. The company has petit
toned an increase in the street car
token fare from four for 80 cents to
three for IS cents, and has announced
It will abandon sale of the 81 weekly
street car pass January 8,
Replacement Plan Urged.
Late in the year Riley E. Elgen,
chairman of the commission, called
on the transit company to adopt a
systematic program for annual re-
placement of the Oldest street cars.
On December "a the company asked
permission to buy As new type street
cars, which would be operated as one
man cars, and to purchase II addi-
tional pusses and make other improve
ments estimated to cost, in all
s2700.OO0.
A battle over one-man cars was
taken to court by the Federation OF
Citizens Associations and the Central
Labor Union in an appeal from the
commissions action in allowing the
company to convert the 20 President s
conference type of cars to one-man
operation and permitting the pur-
chase of 80 secondhand cars to re-
place worn out one-man cars.
Substitution of bus services for one
of the two street car lines serving
Takoma was proposed late in the year
by the company and the commission
will approve the change.
Thousands of dollars will be saved
the District under a decision by the
United States District Court placing
the cost OF removal of abandoned
street car rails and the repaving OF
the car track areas on the transit
COMPANY The case was won for the
commission by Hinman D. Folsom,
Its special counsel.
Gas Rates Reduced.
The first test of the sliding scale
plan for annual adjustment of gas
rates came last July, when the COM
mission ordered a further cut in the
consumer charges. The decision was
accepted by the Washington Jas
Light Co.
The Washington and Suburban Cos.
the Massachusetts, common-laW trust
which holds control over the Wash
ington Gas Light Co. filed a state
ment with the Securities and Ex.
change Commission proposing the sal,
of all its stock in the Washington Co.
81 per cent of the total. Later tn,
Washington Co. proposed to buy tn,
Alexandria and Hyattsville gas com
panies, also controlled by the trust
but the commission rejected the plar
on the ground the price WAS too high
Later. the bankers in the trust de.
cided to retire $4,000, 900 of bonds il
the Washington Co. and to allow tn,
latter to issue a large amount of ad.
ditional stock
The basic return allowed the Poto.
mac Electric Power Co. was reduced
from to 65 per cent and this gave
the public an additional rate cut o.
&350000.
Following principles contained in g
decision of the United States District
Court, the commission obtained a re.
duction Of some schedules of telephone
rates which affected a saving to the
public of $251 900.