Evening star., 1911-08-27
CURB ON UTILITIES
Proposed District Public Serv-
ice Commission.
POLL TAKEN IN CONGRESS
Majority in Both Houses Said to Be
Favorable.
BILLS PASSAGE EXPECTED
Information Will Be Sought From
All Cities Where Similar Regu-
lation Is Exercised.
ILLS PASSAGE EXPECTED

A public service commission to have
control and supervision Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company.
the Capital Traction Company. the
Washington and Georgetown Gas Light
Companies the Potomac Electric Pow
er Company and all other public util-
ity corporations in the District of CO.
lumbia, will be created in the regu-
lar session of Congress. which begins
in December. Advocates of the prop
osition assert that a poll was taken
in the special session Of Congress just
ended and that a majority in both
Senate and House registered in favor
of such action. This means. in the
opinion of those who talk of the poll.
the ending of the long fight to remove
the public utility corporations in ques-
ton from the immediate supervision Of
Congress. so far as operating details
are concerned
Work of District Committee.
The bill creating the public service
commission will be prepared by the
House District committee. of which
Representative Ben Johnson Of Ken
lucky is chairman. It became known
yesterday that inasmuch as 1t is, con-
ceded that the entire investigation Of
District affairs under the Oldfield res
olution passed at the last session OF
of a year the House District commit
tee, which is charged with the work
of inquiry, decided. before the special
session adjourned. to make a special
order Of the public service commission
proposition. This means that the in
nnirv n the nl1h1ic S0rvica
tions of the District of Columbia.
which. in the regular order of things,
would have been the last phase of the
inquiry to be undertaken, has been
moved up. The committee considers
this proposition too important to let
stand so long and 1t is the hope of
all the membership to examine the
subject and make a report to Congress
about the first of January. submitting
at the same time the draft Of a public
service commission measure.
Information to Be Sought.
Preliminary to the drafting Of the bill
Chairman Johnson and his associates on
the District committee will study the
situation with the greatest care. 1t is
their hope to frame a law that will serve
as a model for the entire country. With
this idea in view, they have sent out
requests to the big cities in which the
public service corporations are now under
the control Of commissions. asking for
copies of the law and for any available
and useful Information as to the manner
of it's operation. By this means the COM
mittee expects to have on hand when it
meets again, which will probably be not
later than November 10, a great mass of
useful information which will enable
it to frame a bill creating a public
service commission that will meet with
the least possible objection in both
branches Of the national legislature.
Mr.. oldfield's Hope.
'Tt is my hope," said Representative
Oldfield of Arkansas. few days ago.
just before he left the city for his home.
that the House committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia will be able to prepare
a measure creating a public service COM
mission for the National Capital that will
not be considered as partisan in any way.
Indeed, I might go further and suggest
that it is the desire of all members of the
committee, democrats and republicans
and party affiliations. to offer such
sensible, practical, useful and important
bill to the House that 1t will be accepted
with a minimum Of friction. OF course.
members Of the Senate and House hold
varied views as to the usefulness of a
public service commission. But do not
think that a single member will contend
that the creation of such a commission.
where the statute has been wisely drawn
and intelligently administered, has not
resulted in marked improvement in the
service rendered by corporations which
come into close contact with the public
and has not aided greatly in the latter's
comfort.
"Of course" Mr. Oldfeld continued,
conditions here in the District Of Co
lumbia are somewhat different from
conditions in the ordinary municipality.
But the District committee appreciates
this fact and will keep it always in view
in framing the law. which 1t is hoped
will meet with the approval Of ALL"