The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-07
CHAMBER VOTES TO
AID PUBL|C'S FIGHT
TO GET TRANSFERS
"a g.
nav.
Commercial Board Decides
sss:' to Have Counsel at
s,s7z Hearings.
POWER is EXTENDED
TO LAW COMMITTEE
Action Taken to Show Interest
Taken in Behalf of the
People.

The law and legislation committee
off the Chamber of Commerce, of
which A. Leftwich Sinclair is chair
man today received authorization
from the board of directors to take
cognizance of the transfer suit of the
Baltimore and Washington Transit
Company against the Capital Traction
Company.
The committee is authorized to have
Its chairman. the Chambers general
counsel or a special attorney appear
in the case in the interest of the peo-
pie of the District, or to take any ac-
ton in connection with the suit which
it may deem proper.
Full power was delegated to the
committee, upon motion of Charles w.
Darri and Granville NJ. Hunt, by the
directors of thee Chamber at their
September meeting last night.
This afternoon Secretary Thomas
Grant communicated the Chambers
action to the vice chairman of the conf
mittee, Charles Linkins, in the absence
OF the chairman, Mr.. Sinclair. Mr.. Lin
kins said today that he would consider
at once a time for calling the commit
tee together to act upon the matter.
Mr.. Darr made a vigorous presenta-
ton of the transfer suit to the direc-
tors, and declared that in connection
with 1t the Chamber has an opportuni-
ty to demonstrate to the people that
it ts alive to their interests.
THE matter is of vital Importance to
the District which ever way the court
rules" said he. IF the company seek
ing universal transfers wins its suit, II
wifi follow, of necessity, that transfers
at all connecting points in the District
must be issued.
NINETY per cent of the people of the
District are in favor of universal trans
fers. Here is an opportunity to demon
strate to them that the Chamber is alive
to their interests"
Mr. Darr reviewed the action already
taken by the Chamber IN regard to uni
VeHsal transfers, showing that the An
derson bill now before Congress was
drawn by the law and legislation COM
mittee.
Since that time he said, "a Won
derful discovery has been made. The
universal transfer law of 1894 has come
to light. Although It's existence was
known to the committee, * fell short of
what the committee thought necessary
by reason of ii having no penalty clause
and no means by which the Commits
siopers might enforce II. A third street
railway company, however. has come
into existence and brought suit In equity
under this law, seeking to enforce eX-
change of transfers al the connecting
point with the Capital Traction Com
pany,s Fourteenth street line. While
the chances are that the LITIGATION will
be long, l think the Chamber should
do What 1t can to get universal trans
fers in this way as well as in pushing
legislation now before Congress-
The District Railway Commission met
lff nf nfNinply tn O 70 nm
the petition of Mayor w. G. Plat, of
Tak6ma Park, Md, which was referred
to it by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
ber's convention campaign methods
broke at last nights meeting, producing
one of the iveliest board meetings
which has been held for months. n
the course of the debate Granville Hunt,
chairman of the conventions committee,
told the board that II could have his
resignation at any time Mr. Hunt
made this retCrt to the statement of
William F. GUIDE that he was tired of
jupketing trips and jumping about the
country" and a criticism of convention
getting methods.
The trouble arose over the attempt of
Mr.. Hunt to get an appropriation of
$40 for loo glad hand buttons for
use by members of the Chamber in well
coming visiting convention delegates
and other strangers to the city, and to
get, en- appropriation of $500 to send Sec
rotary Thomas Grant and another dele
gate to the convention of International
Association of Machinists, at Daven-
port. Iowa. the button proposition was
referred to the whole Chamber and the
$500 appropriation voted down, but
afterward D. J. Callahan, who led the
opposition to it, moved an appropriation
OF $500, which was carried.
The chairman of the Panama cele-
bration committee will be asked to
make a report 10 the directors at their
next meeting. This action was taken
as the result of request from Isaac
Cans that a committee of 100 be ,ap-
pointed to plan a peace celebration In
IBIS. The directors deferred action I'M
til the Panama canal committee should
report.
The directors also went on record as
opposing the proposed sidewalk vault
tax bill. The chairman of the commit
tee on building industries, E. H. Dan
Eel, will present the Chambers protest
against this bill and the practice of
changing building regulations without
p0fipa udthin fpW daYR