Evening star., 1912-11-04
Officials of Justice Department
and District to Meet.
MAY MAP FUTURE COURSE
Proposed Consolidation of Local Cor
porations Considered.
STATEMENT BY G. L. BOOTHE
Attorney for Virginia Company De.
Included in Combination.

Whether the Department of Justice will
join with the District of Columbia govern
ment in opposing the proposed merger Of
local utilities until the scheme can be
supervised by public utilities commis-
sion probably will be determined at a
conference to be held this afternoon OF
Assistant United States Attorney General
Jesse c. Adkins, the District Commis-
sioners, United States District Attorney
Clarence F.. wilson and District Corpora
tion Counsel E. II. Tnomas.
All three of the District Commission
ers are expected to attend the conference,
~nlcn will be held at $50 CLOCK in the
office of Commissioner Judson in the Mu-
nicipal building.
Foilowing their recent action in in
structng the corporation counsel to
oring proceeding in equity, or other
III oceedIng, to prevent the absorption OF
.ocai utlnueS Dy the Mary ylana-Vlrginia
railway company, or any otner com
ldny. until a pubic utilities COMMISSION
nas been PROVIDED, the commissioners
Drought the matter to. the attention OF
me United States Attorney General, re-
queStlng his cooperation.
Course to Be Outlined.
1t is expected that today's conference
will determine to what extent. If any,
the Department of Jusuce VIII assist the
Commissioners in the legal action shorty
to be instituted
An out-anu-oLt merger of the Mary
land-VrglnIa hallway Company and the
W asn.ns .on- Virginia Railway Company
Is p.anned, according 10 Gardner L..
boothe, attorney Tor the former concern.
Mr.. Boo,ne Is quoted publicly to the eI-
fect that there mas never Deen any idea
IN the minds of the leaders of the move
nent OF merging any district corpora ton
with any Maryland or Virginia corpora
llon.
He said today that the Washington
virginia company. which operates cleo
trlc lines between Washington. Mount
vernon, Alexandria, Fairfax and oIner
points, is Virginia corporation, and
that, therefore, this company was ex-
cepted when he made the statement
that no merger of District corpora
tion was contemplated.
Merely as Holding Company.
1t was stated also by Mr. Boothe
that, while the Maryland Virginia and
Washington-Virginia companies may
consolidate, the corporation would act
merely as a holding company should
1T take over the Washington Railway
and Electric Company. or any other
local utility.
In short, the promoters of the pro-
posed amaigamaIion of District of Co
Iumbla, Virginia and Maryland utilities
use the word merger" IN restricted
sense.
Tney admit THAT genuifie eonsolida-
ton Of the Virginia COM
pany with the Maryland-vIrginia COM
pany is contemplated. but they deny
that the control of any other utility
corporation which may be obta ned
through stock purchases can be called
or considered a merger.
For the purpose of voting on propo-
sails to change the name of the Mary
land-Virginia Railway Company to the
Washington Utilities Company. increase
the capital stock of the concern from
$1,000 1000 to S5O,00O.OOO and authorize
a bond issue of S1OO,0OO.OOO meeting
of the Maryland-V .rginia 4. company
stockholders will be held in Alexandria
Wed esday of this week. sr.3. (
1t is expected that this meeting will
be followed by the WashingtOn-Vir-
ginia Railway Company directors con-
sidering the merger of that concern
with the heavily capitalized Virginia
corporation.
Federation's Action Pleases.
Officials Of the District Of Columbia
government today expressed gratifica-
ton that the Federation of Citizens
Associations at its meeting Saturday
night had gone on record by unanimous
vote as being opposed to any merger
of local utilities before the establish
ment of public utilities commission.
Commenting on the statement OF At
torney Gardiner l.. Boothe that there has
been no intention to merge District cor
porations with Maryland or. Virginia cor
porations, a representative OF the local
government today said:
This can mean only one of two things
either that the original merger plans
have been abandoned or that the pro-
motors of the undertaking do not con-
slider the acquiring Of control of one cor
poration by another through stock pur-
chases a merger.