LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 20 of section 8 of an act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, and for other purposes, approved March 4, 1913, the Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia herewith submits for the information of Congress a report of their official proceedings for the year ended December 31, 1914, with other information relating to the regulation and operation of the public utilities in the District of Columbia coming under the jurisdiction of said commission. Very respectfully, C. W. KUTZ, LOUIS BROWNLOW, Commissioners. 5 THE COMMISSION. During the first 10 months of the year the personnel of the commission remained as at the end of the preceding year, namely: Lieut. Col. Chester Harding, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, chairman, Oliver P. Newman, and Frederick L. Siddons, commissioners. In accordance with the provisions of the public utilities law, an election of chairman was held on January 5. Commissioner Harding was reelected as chairman, to serve until the first Monday in January, 1915. On October 31, Maj. Charles W. Kutz, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, having been appointed Commissioner of the District of Columbia to succeed Lieut. Col. Harding, took the constitutional oath of office as a member of the Public Utilities Commission and further qualified as provided by law. The retirement of Lieut. Col. Harding as Commissioner of the District of Columbia carried with it his retirement as a commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission. On the same date Commissioner Kutz was elected chairman of the commission to fill the unexpired term of Commissioner Harding. No amendments have been made to the public utilities law. The law appears in full in the report for 1913. As was stated in the commission's report for the year 1913, it was thought at the outset that the organization of a special department of the commission might be unnecessary for handling the work of inspecting and testing electric meters and investigating the efficiency of the electrical supply systems. But experience showed that more time was needed for this work than could be spared by the employees of the electrical department of the District of Columbia. J. P. Schrodt, formerly engaged on similar work for the New York Public Service Commission, first district, was appointed inspector of electric meters and was placed in charge of the electrical inspection bureau. The organization by which the work of the commission is handled remained in large part as it was during the preceding year, and is shown in chart on opposite page. JURISDICTION. United States Express Co. having discontinued all of its activities on June 30, 1914, that utility was dropped from the list of utilities over which the commission exercises jurisdiction. Wells Fargo & Co. having extended into the District of Columbia, its activities as an express company, the commission assumed jurisdiction over that utility. After hearing, the commission found that it had jurisdiction over the Terminal Taxicab Co. and the Federal Taxicab Co., but not over the Blue Line Transfer Co. and the Merchants' Transfer & Storage Co. Appeal was taken by the taxicab companies to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, and that court decided that the commission had jurisdiction over these utilities. The companies have appealed from this decision to the court of appeals of the District of Columbia, where the case is now pending. This case also brought about the exercise of jurisdiction over the Auto Livery Co. and the Barnett Taxicab Co. α The name of the Baltimore & Ocean City Railway Co. was changed to the Washington & Maryland Railway Co. The Metropolitan Auto Co., having ceased to operate in the District of Columbia, has been dropped. The following is the revised list of the names of the public utilities. over which the commission is exercising jurisdiction: Electrical: Washington Market Co. Street railway and coach line: Capital Traction Co. City & Suburban Railway of Washington. East Washington Heights Traction Railroad Co. Great Falls & Old Dominion Railroad Co. Semmes Motor Line. Washington & Maryland Railway Co. Taxicab: Auto Livery Co. Barnett Taxicab Co. Federal Taxicab Co. Terminal Taxicab Co. Telephone and telegraph: Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. Western Union Telegraph Co. The file of the general and special laws under which the various utilities are doing business in the District of Columbia, which, as stated in the report for 1913, was referred to the general counsel a The court of appeals sustained the decision of the lower court in the case of the Terminal Taxicab Co. on Feb. 1, 1915. This company has noted an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. The case of the appeal of the Federal Taxicab Co. has been abandoned. |