Evening star., 1942-04-09
Citizens Unit Leader
Walks 0utAfter Row
Al Board's Forum
Hot Exchange Features
Discussion Of Utilities
Commission Differences

blIItT CTlJlClSm Oi dTtROIy ndn-
kin, Public Utilities Commission
chairman. for airing intra -commis-
sion squabbles at a public forum
on commission activities resulted
last night in leader Of large
citizens association walking out of
the forum meeting.
Thomas v. Regan, chairman of
the Public Utilities Committee of the
Macarthur Boulevard Citizens As
ISOLATION, engaged in a hot exchange
with Mr.. Hankin and others at the
session, contending that the main
purpose Of the forum should be to
solve citizens problems and not to
hear q presentation of difference
of views held by commission men,
bers.
This provoked a reply from Mr..
Hankin that IF you have come
here to solve your problems, you're
in the wrong place. This is pub
lie forum to discuss what is going
on in the commission"
Then I'll leave" said Mr.. Regan,
walking toward the door.
Col. Kutz's Views Criticized.
Before he departed, Mr.. Regan
held brief, spirited discussion with
other citizens who objected to his
attitude concerning the forum. and
at one time shook his umbrella to-
ward the commission chairman.
The exchange followed an expla-
nation by Mr.. Hankin that some
matters before the commission had
been delayed because he and the
other two members, James H. Flan-
agan and Col. C. w. Kutz, could
not agree. He told the approx
mately 30 association representatives
present that he was going to con-
tinue to write minority opinions on
certain matters because that is the
only way I can convey to the public
that it is not a cut-and-dried affair,
that the commission actually is
weighing both sides"
He charged that Col. Kutz did
little work on the commission, and
added that it seemed to him to
be the attitude of Col. Kutz that
If the public wanted anything it
should be refused, but that If the
utilities wanted it, it should be
granted without a hearing.
The chairman emphasized that
his charge against Col. Kutz was not
a personal attack, but that he was
merely trying to explain to the
people what was going on in the
commission.
when I took over the chairman
ship" he added, II announced at
the first meeting of this kind we
held that I would work chiefly for
the interest of the people. There
seems to be difference of opinion
in the commission as to what con-
stitutes public interest"
Pepco Hearing Cited.
The chairman explained that he
referred primarily to the P. U. C..
hearing scheduled today on the
Potomac Electric Power Co. applica-
ton for authority to issue 10000
shares of capital stock to the Wash
ington Railway 81 Electric Co. at
500 a share. He said the stock
actually had a value of between
$500 and $500, representing between
$12,0O0,0Oo and $4,000, 900 profit.
He pointed out that the hearing on
the issuance, which he described as
the same thing as issuing a stock
dividend at close to $500 a share,
will be held without a representa-
tive of the public in attendance.
The meeting adjourned immedi-
ately after brief flare between Mr..
Flanagan and Harry Wender, rep
resenting the Southwest Citizens
Association. Mr.. Flanagan called Mr..
Wender's complaint concerning lack
of public representation by counsel
at P. U. C. meetings as silly and
uttered as though the commission
acted without a grain of sense"
A majority of the forum session
was taken up with a report by Mr..
.Hankin on varied activities of the
commission He discussed tighten
ing of regulations on taxicabs, ef-
forts of taxicab companies to REM
edy the transportation situation
due to shortage of cabs, and an
nounced that the traffic survey now
under way probably would be COM
pleted by the next forum.