Evening star., 1943-03-25
Citizens Group
Scores Hankin
On PepcoCa
Abuse and 'RidicuIe' =
Seen in Statement
Of PUG Member
BY DON S. WARREN.


Der of the Public Utilities Com
mission, today was accused by rep
resentaives of the Federation of
Citizens Associations Of having in
dulged in abuse" and use of per-
secution" tactics in "ridiculing" a
Federation resolution on the pend
Ing power rate case.
In a 2,000-word document filed
with the PUG for the Federation s
Public Utility Committee by. it's
vice chairman, John H. Connaugh-
ton, the group cited the record to
show there was justification for
the body's action upholding the
sliding-scale method of regulating
power rates and opposing Govern
ment ownership.
When the Federation resolution
recently was placed before the PUG
in the hearings on the Potomac
Electric Power Co. case there was a
challenge as to whom it represented
from Thurman Hill, counsel for the
Treasury Procurement Division.
Said Group Was "Misled."
Mr.. Hankin. the citizens group
recalled, said he thought the reso-
luton should be admitted to the
record "as an example of how a
Federation of Citizens Associations
can be utterly misled." In that
same session he had suggested press
stories had been inaccurate and
were inspired by sources other than
the United States Government"
When Mr.. Connaughton objected
to Mr.. Hankin's attack on his group
and moved the language be stricken.
Chairman James H. Flanagan asked
Mr.. Hankin if he wished to with
draw the remark.
Il wish to reannounce it, Mr..
Hankin replied, but the statement
was stricken from the record.
The Federation last Saturday
adopted a resolution condemning
the Hankin language, and authoriz-
ing its Public Utilities Committee to
prepare statement Of the Fedora
tion position.
mot School Children"
Protesting I'VE are not school chill
dren and are not subject to being
misled like irresponsibles," the new
Federation statement concluded:
I'VE claim the right to condemn,
when a member of this commission
steps out of his quasi judicial posi-
ton and becomes a prosecutor, an
advocate in matter pending before
the body, or forgets the high dignity
OF his office to become a prosecutor.
I'VE feel that the commission
should assume the role of an i'm
partial tribunal as much interested
in protecting the rights of one party
as the other, and having no prefer
ment FOR either.
I'VE believe this commission
should be guided by the truth as
disclosed by the evidence. All should
come before this commission with
equal opportunity to be heard and
to present competent evidence with
out being subjected to harassment
or abuse. If there be honest differ
ences of opinion, then parties should
have the privilege of making a
proper record for the protection Of
their rights as they assume them
to be. This should proceed in an
orderly manner without censure or
abuse"
Takes Fling at Hill.
Among other references to the rec
ord In the power rate case, the Fed
Grafton group took a fling at Mr..
Hill for his denial the Treasury
sought preferential rate reductions
or that Government ownership
was involved in the case. The Con-
naughton group referred to the
February 25 Joe. do your stuff
press conference OF Treasury Sec
retary Morganthau, in which he had
Joseph J. O'Connell explain how
the Treasury was seeking lower
power rates for everybody. The
record also shows the Treasury
Procurement Division had been ne
gotiating for months with Pepco for
lower rates for the Government and
for consolidated billing for all Gov
ernment buildings.
When little progress" was made
In these private negotiations, Treas
ury Procurement officials decided to
intervene In the Pepco case before
the PUG for the Government and
lin the interest of the public" The
Federation group recalled that at
a conference with the PUG and
Pepco officials, prior to the hearings
Mr.. Hill had authorized a state
ment that appearance before the
PUG docs not mean that we do
not have other remedies" such as
agreement on a special rate, public
ownership" or perhaps methods pro-
vided under the War Powers Act.
The Federation group asserted the
record showed 1t was Mr.. Hill who
brought up public ownership" and
abrogation of the sliding scale plan
as issues, arguing that, therefore, the
Federation resolution was adopted
in good faith.
The Treasury officials had been
negotiating for preferential rate
for the United States Government,
as admitted by Mr.. Hill on the day
we presented our former resolution. "
the group declared.