Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-15
MORE POWER over TRACTION
VIOLATIONS UNDER CONTROL
OF RAILWAY COMMISSION.
New Order Issued by the Interstate
Commerce Observation-Disclosures
Attorney Baker IL Prosecutor.

The order says the new commission, "ol
any member thereof" shall have power tc
hear complaints regarding the violations
Of any part. of the law or of the regula'
tions governing local electric railways
promulg ated by the interstate commerce
commission and to file informations ir
the Police Court for violations. The orde,
also gives power to United States Distric,
Attorney p. w. Baker to file informations
for violations and to prosecute in court.
In case of doubt as to the advisability
OF filing an information, 1t is ordered, the
United States attorney and the Distric,
railway commission will confer directly
with each other. This indicates that the
take no part in the prosecutions Of VIC
lations Of the laws and regulations Of the
District electric railways, although made
nominally on its behalf.
BY this announcement, the matter is left
in the hands Of the District railway com
mission.
The ofhcial Order.
This order is as follows:
cit is ordered that the District electric
railway commission or any member there.
of be and is hereby authorized and re-
Complaint Of the violation Of any of the
several sections Of the act which confers
authority upon the interstate commerce
commission or Of any rules Or regulations
prescribed by the interstate commerce.
commission hereunder. and to file infor-
commerce commission In the Police Court
of the District of Columbia and that
Daniel W. Baker, United States attorney
in and for the District of Columbia, either
by himself or through his assistants be
and is hereby authorized and requested
f,t11 Int
In said Police Court for violations OF said
act or regulations BY or on behalf Of the
Interstate commerce commission and to
prosecute said informations filed by HIM
self or such other infcrmations as may
be filed by or on behalf OF the INTERSTATE
commerce commission, either by itself or
by the said District electric railway com
mission: and the said parties heretofore
named shall have full power to fle said
information on behalf and in the name
of the interstate commerce commission
1T is further ordered that SAID unite s
lied and requested to confer with SAID
District electric railway commission when
there Is doubt as to the advtsab1nty OF
fling an information OF said VIOLATIONS
and prosecuting the same; and the sad
District electric railway commission be
and is hereby authorized and requested
whenever it shall SO desire to confer with
said United States attorney as to the ad-
Instability Of fling in said Police Court any
or evidence that may De De-
tore them.
Mr.. Knapp Defines Authority.
Neither the Department Of Justice nor
the district attorney has as yet taken
stems for the arrest and punishment OF
members Of the interstate commerce COM
mission for alleged violation Of law in
accepting gratuitous services from Gen.
John A. Wilson, District Commission sr
Henry L. West and Thomas w smith
who constitute the District electric railway
commission.
Chairman Knapp Of the interstate com
merce commission was found At ms 20 ae 1,s
Of mind. He admitted that he had NO
intention of leaving the Jurisdiction At
this time, but he also stated that he had
no Intention of calling the other commits
sembiing of the commission IN September.
SO they. at least would seem safe from
arrest until then.
Chairman, Knapp states that there Is
great deal Of misunderstanding IN certain
quarters not only as to the racts' out d.
The law forbiddinS the employment OF
persons in the government service Tor
whose payment appropriations nave nor
been specifically made applies to the
branches Of the services whose employees
hold what might be termed statutory
positions. Such are the clerks OF the d1t-
ferent grades in the several departments.
Powers Of Commission.
"In the organic act creating the inter-
state commerce commission there are only
the commissionerships and the secretary
ship which may be termed statutory posi-
tiona, because they are specifically cre-
ated by law and the salaries for each
made In like manner. But the same act
also provides: The commission shall nave
authority to employ and fix the compen-
sation of such other employees as 1t may
find necessary to the proper performance
Of Its duties 1t also states that. Until
otherwise provided by law. the commits
sion may hire suitable offices for Its use.
and shall have authority to procure all
necessary once supplies To meet these
other expenses for employees and offices,
with the necessary supplies incident there
to, there Is lump sum OF 100000 APP
proprated by the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill.
Now, then, having the authority to
employ such employees as it may find
necessary to the proper performance of
fits duties, and having the money appro-
priated to pay those who are employed as
such, / fail to see where the commits
sion has exceeded it's authority"
No Violation Of Law.
The suggestion il made by a prominent
officer OF the government that there Is
nothing in the claim that the gratuitous
service OF the District electric railway
is a violation Of the law. The
act of 1905. he claims. does not apply to
this instance any more than it did to
the anthracite coal commission, which
was. appointed some years ago by. the
President, and to similar commissions
which it has been found desirable to
create from time to time. That Com
xress subsequently provided for the com
pensation OF the coal commission did
not change the fact that there was no
for paying its members. or.
indeed. for its creation when they were
appointed.
the Interstate commerce commission has
undo,rbted authority for the appointment
OF the subcommisston and for paying Its
members nominal fee, if that should be
found desirable.
There seems to be no fear at the OFFICES
OF the commission. or at least none is
manifest that the members of the COM
mission will be arrested and made to
pay fine Of 500, or suffer months i'm
for accepting gratuitous serv-
Ice from the District electric railway
commission.
Mr.. Eddy Begins Work.
At a meeting Of the District railway
commission. in its offices In the Westory
building. at 2 o'clock this afternoon, H. c.
Eddy, the new executive officer and sec
rotary. was inaugurated.
His appointment Is effective today, and