Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-30
DIRECT TO CONGRESS
Friends of Universal Transfers
Will Apply to Legislators.
IGNORE COMMISSIONERS
Plan Of Executive Committee of Citi.
zens' Conference.
MASS MEETING Is PROPOSED
Good Effect Expected From Action
Taken by New York Public
Service Commission.
IGNORE COMMISSIONERS
MASS MEETING Is PROPOSED

scented to Congress-. REGARDLESS of whether
the District Commissioners decide to give
1t their support.
This announcement was made today by
Attorney Charles W. Darr. chairman of
the committee, who declared that the
order passed yesterday by the public serv-
Ice commission of New York, directing
the issuance Of universal transfers on all
surface street railway lines Of the me-
tropolis. should be q big aid in the effort
dition In the District.
Plans will be perfected at once for hav-
ing the committees measure introduced
in both the Senate and House and holding
a big mass meeting Of citizens for the
purpose Of arousing interest In behalf of
its passage. Attorney Darr said There
will be no further delay. he asserted In
an attempt to have the Commissioners
support the bill.
It is proposed to have Senator John
D. Works of California Introduce the
bill in the Senate. and Representative
Ben Johnson Of Kentucky. chairman of
the House District committee, will be
asked to introduce 1t in the House. SEN
ator Works has been invited to meet the
committee at a conference. which prob
ably will be held early next week.
Mass Meeting Proposed.
Although arrangements for the mass
meeting are in tentative state. the date
to be selected for this event will, in all
probability. be December Is. or. at least,
prior to the time Congress adjourns for
the holidays. The meeting, 1t Is expect
ed. will be held in the Old Masonic Tenn
pie. Several members of Congress will
be asked to deliver addresses, and all
the members of the Senate and House
District committees will be invited to at
tend.
The sweeping victory won by the ad-
herents of universal transfers in New
York IL the principal reason given by At
torney Darr for the decision to go ahead
with the committees bill. without wait
ing to see whether the District Commits
sioners will get behind 1t.
Precedent Established in New York.
"Our bill is the only one which would
bring about an absolutely satisfactory
state Of AFFAIRS similar to that which
residents Of New York are to reap through
the order OF the public service commits
sion," said Mr.. Darr.
THE Commissioners bill. which is a
substitute for the universal transfer meas
ure introduced by Senator Works, is de-
fective, In that 1t fails to provide for the
issuance Of q transfer on q transfer by
the same company. II this measure
should be enacted into law, the result
would be but little more satisfactory than
the conditions which now obtain.
Congress has never had such prece-
dent for enacttng universal transfer legis-
lation IN the District as 1t now possesses.
in view Of the order OF the New York
public service commission.
I'VE want 10 be just as well or in the
District as are the people Of New York.
and. for that reason. we are going ahead
with our own bill. which we consider SUI
perior to that OF the Commissioners.
Conference With Commissioners.
Two conferences have been held be-
tween the members OF the committee
and the Commissioners, but there have
been no indications that the two sides
would be able to agree upon one or
the other bills. or a compromise meas
ure. At the last conference. which
was held Monday, the Commissioners
that they would 90 over the
committees bill with the corporation
counsel Of the District, and make known
their decision at later date.
Engineer Commissioner Judson at this
conference stated that IN al opinlol
the bill framed by the committee was
too drastic, and would stand no chance
of being favorably acted upon by Con-
gress.
He declared that he would prefer a
bill which would stand some show OF
being enacted into law. rather than one
more sweeping In its provisions. but
less likely to meet with congressional
approval
The Commissioners bill. he said. would
benefit nine hundred and ntnety-nfne
persons, and is practical whereas. in
his opinion, the committees bill would
benefit one thousand persons. but Is not
practical.
Although it barely is possible that the
Commissioners may yet decide to sup
port the committees measure, this
prospect is not counted upon to any
extent by the members OF the citizens
conference.
Whether Senator Works will give his
support to the measure framed by the
committee remains to be seen. Attorney
Darr said that an effort may be made
to have him introduce the measure as a
substitute for his own bill, which is now
pending in Congress.
Not since the beginning OF the fight 20
secure universal transfers In the District
have members Of the citizens conference
felt as jubilant over the situation as to-
day, when they learned Of the order OF
the New York public service commission.
The action Of the commission. they say,
should convince Congress that the local
demand for universal transfers Is not
unreasonable.
Action In New York.