The Washington times., 1911-05-27
JUSTICE BROWN IN
THE LISTS TO SOLVE
HERD|CS PROBLEM
Joins Hands With the Dis
trict Officials in Legal
Inquiry.
COMMISSIONERS
SEE REMEDY AHEAD
Hope for Relief in Passage by Con-
gress of Public Service
Measure.

Henry Billings Brown, associate justice
Of the United States Supreme Court, re-
tired. has entered the lists against the
Sixteenth street herdics.
Armed with a knowledge of the law
that was sufficient to elevate him to a
seat in the highest tribunal in the land,
Justice Brown has Joined hands with
the District Commissioners and the
Corporation Counsel in an effort to
make the herdic company toe the mark
Justice Brown lives on Sixteenth
street, at l72O, and in spite Of the dig
nifty of his position. he frequently rides
in the herdic. He, therefore, has a
personal as we'll as a public interest In
helping solve the herdic riddle. which
has thus far baffled the combined wis
dom Of the District building.
What Commissioners Seek.
The District Commissioners have re-
Gently been hunting for authority by
which they could compel the Metropoli-
tan Coach Company. which operates the
herdics. to do the following things:
To repair and paint the herdics or
buy new vehicles, thereby eliminating
from the streets the old motor vehicles
which have become an eysore and d
noisy nuisance.
2. To operate a sufficient number of
vehicles to handle the heavy traffic of
the territory through which the herdics
8, To maintain a regular. dependable
schedule
Commissioner Johnston, Justice Brown
and Corporation Counsel Thomas have
just held an extended conference on the
herdic problem. Thev have gone over
the District statutes carefully, and
their conclusion is that the Commission
ers have no authority by which they
can force the herdic company to do any
thing 1t doesn't want to do. Asked
for statement on the status of the
herdic investigation today, Commission
er Johnston said:
Il regret to say that our examination
OF the law has failed to show that we
have any authority by which we can
regulate the Metropolitan Coach Com
pany. That corporation seems to be In
the twilight zone 1t is not a street
rails, and therefore it is not under the
jurisdiction Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. On the other hand, there
is no act of Congress that puts ii under
the District Commissioners. 1t could
run once a month or twice a day or
every minute or once a year, and vc
would have no authority to interfere,
according to our Interpretation of the
statutes-and we would surely strain q
point If possible to make the herdlc
service what It should be-"
Hopes for Action Soon
Commissioner Johnston was asked
whether the Commissioners would ask
Congress to bestow upon them author
fly to regulate the coach company. He
said:
IAN l can say about that is that
we have not given up hope OF being
able to do something for the people
who now patronize the herdics, and
N hax
were dependable. It may be that in 0
short time we will be able to act
1t was learned from other sources
that the Commissioners pin their faith
in regulation of herdic service in the
near future, to their belief that a public
service commission bill will be passed
at this session of Congress, and that 1t
will put the herdic company on the
same basis as street railway companies.
In case the public service commission
bill is not passed, 1t is understood the
Commissioners will ask for definite au-
thority to regulate herdic service.