The Washington herald., 1908-07-16

Despite the protests and criticisms Of
certain members Of Congress and street
railway presidents, the Interstate Com
merce Commission says the new District
electric railway commission. recently Gre
ated 10 investigate and hear complaints
. against the local street railway COM
panies. wiz continue to act. To empha-
size this. the Interstate Commerce Com
mission yesterday conferred more power
upon the new subcomnission
The order from the Interstate Com
merce Commission 20 the subcommission.
con1erring this added power. SAYS the
new commission, OF any member thereof
snail have the power 10 hear complaints
regarding Violations Of any part Of the
law regulating local electric railways pro
mulgated by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and 10 file information OF
violation IN the Police Court. The order
also gives the power to United States Dis
trict Attorney D. ". Baker TO file infor-
nations for violations and TO prosecute
IN court
Where there is any doubt as TO the ad-
Visibility OF fling an information. It IS
ordered, the United States attorney and
the District railway commission will con
fer directly with each other.
Text of the Order.
The order IS as follows:
It is ordered that the District electric
railway commission or any member there
I OF be. and is hereby. authorized and re-
1 quested and is given fun power TO hear
complaint OF the violation OF any OF the
several sections OF the act which confers
authority upon the Interstate Commerce
I Commission OF OF any rules or reguIa-
tons prescribed by the Interstate Com
merce Commission Hereunder. and 70 file
/ information by or on behalf Of the Inter
I state Commerce Commission IN the Police
/ Court OF the District OF Columbia: and
| that Daniel ". Baker. United States at
I torney IN and for the District OF CoIurn-
I biz. either by himself or through his as
sistaDts. be and IS hereby authorized and
requested and IS given full power 10 file
/ informatons in said Police Court for vlo-
[ latiOns OF said act or regulations by OF on
behalf OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and 20 prosecute said informa- {
tons fled by himself OF such other in
formations as may be fled by OF on be- I
half OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. either By itself OF By the sad /
District electric railway commission: and 4
the said parties heretofore named shall I
have full power TO file said Information
on behalf and IN the name OF the Inter 4
state Commerce Commission
II IS further ordered that said United 4
States attorney be. and IS hereby author
lied and requested 10 confer with said
District electric railway commission When
there Is doubt as TO the advfsability Of
fling an information OF said violations
and prosecuting the same; and the said
District electric railway commission be
and Is hereby. authorized and requested
whenever II shall SO desire 10 confer with
Saic United states attorney as TO the ad-
visibility OF fling In said Police Court
any information or evidence that may be
before them
Commerce COmmissiOn's Position.
member OF the Interstate Comuls-ce
Commission vas seen yesterday and
asked # the commission was acting with
in the law. He said:
Since the law itself has been observed
5y the Interstate Commerce Commission
IN It's appointment Of a subsidiary body
OF agents. which in this case happens
to be the District railway commission.
II naturally follows that any statements
that we have exceeded our authority are
futile. IN the full meaning Of the word. -
The question OF whether the members
Of the new subconmiss!ou vera to r.
ceive compensation IN order to come IN
der the law. which states that the gov
ernment shah not receive the service
Of any person without compensatinz
them for such service. was developed
al the interview.
The member spoke for the entire Inter
state Commerce Commission, and said:
For most OF the departments appro-
Priations are made in detail; that IS. the
appropriation bin in a given instance pro-
vides specifically for the employment Of
a certain number Of persons at certain
salaries. and so on.
In the case Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission. however. the appro-
priation always has been in a lump sum.
and the. commission is authorized in gen
eral terms 20 employ such persons as II
may require.
I'VE do not admit that this question :
really exists, but If it does. it is only one
n connection with the legality Of our ap-
Dointment Of the District electric rail-
way commission i
Finally, the law specifically states o
hat the Interstate Commerce Commission 2
haE FIX compensation as It sees it. The I Z
Taction board could be paid pennies or 7
ioilars, and the technicality, II It exists. :
would be covered That Is all there is to F
he matter"
Secretary Begins Work.
H c Eddy, the newly-appointed exec \
tive and secretary OF the electric railway t
commission, took up the work Of his Of
Ice yesterday He spent the greater part
4 the day in fling the complaints and
-oing thoroughly over them and farniI-
arizing himself IN general with his new
Uties.
Gen John NJ Wilson. president Of the eT
commission, said that Mr. EDDY would be- -
in at once to investigate the complaints
led with the commission. He added that ev
0 do this Mr. Eddy would go over the 'S,
ailway lines and call upon the railway G
mcials ard ascertain just how the com an
laints should be handled. >,
Gen Wilson also said that a we'll =,
nown citizen had forwarded the commits q
ion a complaint against the smoking on st
Teet cars. b
J A n Jorgenseu OF NTor7nt psf-s,-