Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-14
CRITICISM IS TO BE IGNORED
Technically Regarding the Status
of Gratuitous Services to Be Met
by Small Salary.

Il do not think there is mucn tnat Can
be added to the admirable article which
appeared in The Evening Star on the
Fourth Of July said Chairman Martin
A. Knapp. when asked If there was any
thing further to be said in connection Win
the comments OF Senator Jacob H. Gaiiih-
ger, chairman of the Senate District COM
mittee, concerning the recently appointed
street railway commission
80 far as the real purpose Of this COM
mission is concerned in the appointment
of the District electric railway commas
sion the last word was said then.
1T is as much Of an impossibility for the
interstate commerce commission to unoer-
take the operation of the Washington
street railways as it would be for the Su-
preme Court of the District Of Columbia
to do So without the assistance OF COM
petent persons to look after the details
II feel certain" said Mr.. Knapp. that
when Senator Gallinger Is fully advised or
the facts and gives the situation his care
full confederation he will agree that the
intersta.. commerce commission has done
stances.
Capacity Is A lv'.~rv.
THE action Of the rail.v-y commission
will not necessarily be final, excei where
a satisfactory arrangement GAP lie made
with the railways to meet he l-mands OF
the people. In those instances where the
disagreement cannot be mutually adjusted
the commission will probe the facts. as
certain what conditions are in other cities
and how they are met, and then submit
both facts and their recommendations to
the interstate commerce commission for
final adjudication.
II believe that many OF the questions
which come up can and will be settled by
merely talking the matter over with the
managers of the electric roads. and that
when each sees what the other wishes to
attain it will be easily accomplished.
Here in the District there is no fun
damental railway problem. Electricity is
the power, and it is already underground.
where it should be. BY making a study
Of the system of railway operation here
and in other cities it will be q compare
lively easy matter. believe. to determine
what should be done with the few i'm
portant problems of railway operation
which confront us here.
II do not believe the Intervention Of the
subcommission. known as the District
railway commission, will make any diff
ference in the working of the law. The
subcommissiOn has no real power. 1t can
recommend in the same way that lower
official could recommend.
No POWERS Oelegateo.
1.-THE interstate commerce commission
has in no way delegated any Of its powers
to the electric railway commission. They
are but an advisory commission.
1.-The law which states that the govern
ment cannot accept any service for which
the person or persons rendering 1t are not
compensated has no bearing on the pres
,ent case. Two of the gentlemen on the
new commission are already on the rolls
of the government, and to the third, Mr..
Smith we can easily give a small salary.
If it is necessary, to get over the tech
nicality.
IT do not believe" he added. in con-
clusion there Is anything very serious in
the objection raised by Senator Gallinger
to the appointment Of the subcommission.
Powers Given by Law.
The section of the law giving the inter.
state commerce commission power to reg
ulate the railways of the District reads as
follows:
"The interstate commerce commission is
hereby given power to require and compel
obedience to all of the provisions of this
section and to make, alter, amend and
enforce all needful rules and regulations
to secure said obedience; and said commits
sion is given power to make all such orders
and regulations necessary to the exer-
else of the powers herein granted to 1T as
may be reasonable and proper: and such
railroad companies or corporations, their