verified by an owner or officer of the public utility, shall be filed with the commission, and a copy thereof transmitted to Congress.

Par. 15. That the commission shall provide for the examination and audit of all accounts, and all items shall be allocated to the accounts in the manner prescribed by the commission. The agents, accountants, or examiners employed by the commission shall have authority, under the direction of the commission, to inspect and examine any and all books, accounts, papers, records, and memoranda kept by such public utilities.

Par. 16. That every public utility shall carry a proper and adequate depreciation account. The commission shall ascertain and determine what are the proper and adequate rates of depreciation of the several classes of property of each public utility. These rates shall be such as will provide the amounts required over and above the expense of maintenance to keep such property in a state of efficiency corresponding to the progress of the industry. Each public utility shall conform its depreciation accounts to such rates so ascertained and determined by the commission. The commission may make changes in such rates of depreciation from time to time as it may find to be necessary. The commission shall also prescribe rules, regulations, and forms of accounts regarding such depreciation which the public utility is required to carry into effect. The commission shall provide for such depreciation in fixing the rates, tolls, and charges to be paid by the public. All moneys in this fund may be expended in keeping the property of such public utility in repair and good and serviceable condition for the use to which it is devoted, or invested, and, if invested, the income from the investments shall also be carried in the depreciation fund. This fund and the proceeds thereof shall be used for no other purpose than as provided in this paragraph, unless with the consent and by order of the com

mission.

Par. 17. That the commission shall keep itself informed of all new construction, extensions, and additions to the property of all public utilities, and shall prescribe the necessary forms, regulations, and instructions to the officers and employees of all pubic utilities for the keeping of construction accounts, which shall clearly distinguish all operating expenses and new construction.

Par. 18. That nothing in this section shall be taken to prohibit a public utility, with the consent of the commission, from providing a sliding scale of rates and dividends according to what is commonly known as the Boston sliding scale, or other financial device that may be practicable and advantageous to the parties interested. No such arrangement or device shall be lawful until it shall be found by the commission, after investigation, to be reasonable and just and not inconsistent with the purposes of this section. Such arrangement shall be under the supervision and regulation of the commission. The commission shall ascertain, determine, and order such rates, charges, and regulations, and the duration thereof, as may be necessary to give effect to such arrangement, but the right and power to make such other and further changes in rates, charges, and regulations as the commission may ascertain and determine to be necessary and reasonable, and the right to alter or amend all orders relative thereto, is reserved and vested in the commission notwithstanding any such arrangement and mutual agreement.

Par. 19. That each public utility shall furnish to the commission in such form and at such times as the commission shall require, such

accounts, reports, and information as shall show in itemized detail: Depreciation; salaries and wages; legal expenses; taxes and rentals; quantity and value of material used; receipts from residuals, by-products, services, or other sales; total and net costs; net and gross profits; dividends and interest; surplus or reserve; prices paid by consumers; and in addition such other items, whether of a nature similar to those hereinbefore enumerated or otherwise, as the commission may prescribe, in order to show completely and in detail the entire operation of the public utility in furnishing its product or service to the public.

Par. 20. That the commission shall publish annual reports showing its proceedings relating to all the public utilities of each kind in the District of Columbia, and such other occasional reports as it may deem advisable. The commission shall also publish in its annual reports the value of all property actually used and useful for the convenience of the public, of every public utility as to whose rates, charges, service, or regulations any hearing has been held by the commission or the value of whose property has been ascertained by it under the provisions of this

section.

Par. 21. That the commission shall ascertain and fix adequate and serviceable standards for the measurement of quality, pressure, initial voltage, or other condition pertaining to the supply of the product or service rendered by any public utility, and prescribe reasonable regulations for examining and testing such product or service and for the measurement thereof. It shall establish_reasonable rules, regulations, specifications, and standards to secure the accuracy of all meters and appliances for measurements, and every public utility is required to carry into effect all orders issued by the commission relative thereto.

Par. 22. That the commission shall provide for the examination and testing of any and all appliances used for the measuring of any product or service of a public utility. Any consumer or user may have any such appliance tested upon payment of the fees fixed by the commission. The commission shall declare and establish reasonable fees to be paid for testing such appliances on the request of the consumers or users, the fee to be paid by the consumer or user at the time of his request, but to be paid by the public utility and repaid to the consumer or user if the appliance be found defective or incorrect to the disadvantage of the consumer

or user.

Par. 23. That the commission may purchase such materials, apparatus, and standard measuring instruments for such examination and tests as it may deem necessary. The commission, its agents, experts, or examiners, shall have power to enter upon any premises occupied by any public utility for the purpose of making the examinations and tests provided for in this section, and to set up and use on such premises any apparatus and appliances and occupy reasonable space therefor.

Par. 24. That every public utility shall file with the commission, within a time to be fixed by the commission, schedules, which shall be open to public inspection, showing all rates, tolls, and charges which it has established and which are in force at the time for any service performed by it within the District of Columbia, or for any service in connection therewith or performed by any public utility controlled or operated by it. The rates, tolls, and charges shown on such schedules shall not exceed the rates, tolls, and charges now allowed by law, and shall be the lawful rates, tolls, and charges within the District of Columbia, and shall remain and be in force until set aside by the commission.

Par. 25. That every public utility shall file with and as a part of such schedule all rules and regulations tat in any manner affect the rates charged or to be charged for any service.

Par. 26. That a copy of so much of said schedules as the commission shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be printed in plain type and kept on file in every station and office of such public utility where payments are made by the consumers or users, open to the public, in such form and place as to be readily accessible to the public and so as to be conveniently inspected.

Par. 27. That where a schedule of joint rates or charges is, or may be, in force between two or more public utilities, such schedule shall in like manner be printed and filed with the commission, and so much thereof as the commission shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be filed in such station or office, as provided in the preceding paragraph.

Par. 28. That no change shall thereafter be made in any schedule, including schedules of joint rates, except upon ten days' notice to the commission, and all such changes shall be plainly indicated upon existing schedules, or by filing new schedules in lieu thereof ten days prior to the time the same are to take effect: Provided, That the commission, upon application of any public utility, may prescribe a less time within which a reduction may be made.

Par. 29. That copies of all new schedules shall be filed, as hereinbefore provided, in every station and office of such public utility where payments are made by consumers or users ten days prior to the time the same are to take effect, unless the commission shall prescribe a less time.

Par. 30. That it shall be unlawful for any public utility to charge, demand, collect, or receive a greater or less compensation for any service performed by it within the District of Columbia, or for any service in connection therewith, that is specified in such printed schedules, including schedules of joint rates, as may at the time be in force, or to demand, collect, or receive any rate, toll, or charge not specified in such schedules. The rates, tolls, and charges named therein shall be the lawful rates, tolls, and charges until the same are changed as provided in this section. Par. 31. That the commission may prescribe such changes in the form in which the schedules are issued by any public utility as may be found to be expedient.

Par. 32. That the commission shall have power to adopt reasonable and proper rules and regulations relative to all inspections, tests, audits, and investigations, and to adopt and publish reasonable and proper rules to govern its proceedings and to regulate the mode and manner of all investigations and hearings of public utilities and other parties before it.

Par. 33. That the commission shall keep itself informed as to the manner and method in which the business of all public utilities is conducted, and shall have the right to obtain from any public utility all necessary information to enable the commission to perform its duties.

Par. 34. That the commission or any commissioner or any person or persons employed by the commission for that purpose shall, upon demand, have the right to inspect the books, accounts, papers, records, amd memoranda of any public utility, and to examine, under oath, any officer, agent, or employee of such public utility in relation to its business and affairs. Any person other than one of said commissioners who shall make such demand shall produce his authority to make such inspection or examination.

Par. 35. That the commission may require, by order or subpana, to be served upon any public utility in the same manner that a summons is served in a civil action in the Supr. me Court of the District of Columbia, the production within the District of Columbia at such time and place as it may designate of any books, accounts, papers, or records kept by such public utility in any office or place without the District of Columbia, or verified copies in lieu thereof, if the commission shall so order, in order that an examination thereof may be made by the commission under its direction. Any public utility failing or refusing to comply with any order or subpoena shall for each day it shall so fail or refuse forfeit and pay to the District of Columbia the sum of one hundred dollars, to be recovered in an action to be brought in the name of said District.

Attendance of witnesses and the production of such documentary evidence may be required from any place in the United States. And in case of disobedience to a subpana the commission, or any party to a proceeding before the commission, may invoke the aid of any court of the United States or the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books, papers, and documents under the provisions of this section. And the said commission is hereby given power to call on any district attorney of the United States, the corporation counsel of the District of Columbia, or any counsel of the commission to enforce the provisions of this section in the proper courts of the United States, and on such call it shall be the duty of the said district attorney, corporation counsel, or any counsel of the commission, upon request of said commission, to enforce the provisions of this paragraph, the costs and expenses incurred to be paid out of the appropriations for the expenses of the courts of the United States.

Par. 36. That for the purpose of making any investigation with regard to any public utility the commission shall have power to appoint, by an order in writing, an agent, whose duties shall be prescribed in such order. In the discharge of his duties such agent shall have every power whatsoever of an inquisitorial nature granted in this section to the commission and shall have power to administer oaths and take depositions. The commission may conduct any number of such investigations contemporaneously through different agents, and may delegate to such agent or agents the taking of all testimony bearing upon any investigation or hearing. The decision of the commission shall be based upon its examination of all testimony and records. The recommendations made by such agents shall be advisory only, and shall not preclude the taking of further testimony, if the commission so order, nor further investigation. Par. 37. That every public utility shall furnish to the commission all information required by it to carry into effect the provisions of this section, and shall make specific answers to all specific questions submitted by the commission. Any public utility receiving from the commission any blanks with directions to fill the same shall cause the same to be properly filled out so as to answer, fully and correctly, each question therein propounded, and in case it is unable to answer any question it shall give a good and sufficient reason for such failure; and said answer shall be verified under oath by the president, secretary, superintendent, or general manager of such public utility, and returned to the commission at its office within the period fixed by the commission. Whenever required by the commission, every public utility shall deliver to the commission any or all maps, profiles, contracts, reports of engineers, and all

documents, books, accounts, papers, and records, or copies of any or all of the same, with a complete inventory of all its property, in such form as the commission may direct.

Par. 38. That upon its own initiative or upon reasonable complaint made against any public utility that any of the rates, tolls, charges, or schedules, or services, or time and conditions of payment, or any joint rate or rates, schedules, or services, are in any respect unreasonable or unjustly discriminatory, or that any time schedule, regulation, or act whatsoever affecting or relating to the conduct of any street railway or common carrier, or the production, transmission, delivery, or furnishing of heat, light, water, or power, or any service in connection therewith, or the conveyance of any telegraph or telephone message, or any service in connection therewith, is in any respect unreasonable, insufficient, or unjustly discriminatory, or that any service is inadequate or can not be obtained, the commission may, in its discretion, proceed, with or without notice, to make such investigation as it may deem necessary or convenient. But no order affecting said rates, tolls, charges, schedules, regulations, or act complained of shall be entered by the commission without a formal hearing.

Par. 39. That the commission shall prior to such formal hearing notify the public utility complained of that a complaint has been made, and ten days after such notice has been given the commission may proceed to set a time and place for a hearing and an investigation as hereinafter provided.

Par. 40. That the commission shall give the public utility and the complainant, if any, ten days' notice of the time and place when and where such hearing and investigation will be held and such matters considered and determined. Both the public utility and complainant shall be entitled to be heard and shall have process to enforce the attendance of witnesses.

Par. 41. That if upon such investigation the rates, tolls, charges, schedules, or joint rates shall be found to be unjust, unreasonable, insufficient, or unjustly discriminatory, or to be preferential or otherwise in violation of any of the provisions of this section, the commission shall have power to determine and by order fix and order to be substituted therefor such rate or rates, tolls, charges, or schedules as shall be just and reasonable. If upon such investigation it shall be found that any regulation, time schedule, act, or service complained of is unjust, unreasonable, insufficient, preferential, unjustly discriminatory, or otherwise in violation of any of the provisions of this section, or if it be found that reasonable service is not supplied, the commission shall have power to determine and substitute therefor such other regulations, time schedules, service, or acts and to make such orders respecting and such changes in such regulations, time schedules, service, or acts as shall be just and reasonable. And upon any investigation for the purpose of determining upon and requiring any reasonable extension or extensions of lines or of service that shall promise to be compensatory within a reasonable time, the commission shall have power to fix, determine, and require every such extension or extensions to be made and the terms and conditions upon which the same shall be made: Provided, That no hearing shall be had and no order shall be made respecting such extension or extensions without notice to the public utility affected thereby, as provided in paragraph forty of this section.