Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-09
Senators May Pass Public
Utilities Bill Today.
TWO MEASURES COMPARED
Substitute for Gallinger Bill Advo-
Gated by Senator Works.
LIVELY DISCUSSION FOLLOW
Liquidation to Authorize Control of
Corporations In the District
by q Commission.

Efforts to have the Senate pass the bill
for q public utility commission for the
District Of Columbia are to be renewed
late this afternoon by Senator Gallinger
his efforts to get action yesterday after
noon having been unsuccessful, and there
Is strong hope that final action will be
taken before adjournment today. Senator
Gallinger sought yesterday to have the
Senate agree to a vote at o'clock this
afternoon. but Senators Bristow and Lea
raised objections because OF the absence
OF senator's.
There was a long discussion Of the bill
yesterday afternoon, Ringing about the
differences between the substitute which
Senator Works has offered and the Gal
linger bill. which has been recommended
by the Senate District committee, and
warm feelingsdeveloped at intervals. The
members Of the Senate District commit
tee-Senators Gallinger, Works. Pomer-
enc and Lea-were the chief participants
In the debate. although Senator Reed of
Missouri engaged in one lively colloquy
with the chairman Of the District COM
mittee.
The result OF the discussion was an or
der to print, in parallel columns. the
Gallfnger bill and the Works substitute,
80 that the differences might be easily
discovered. Senator Works contended
that his substitute was the bill prepared
by the corporation counsel Of the Dis
trict with the approval Of the District
commissioners, and that the Gallinger
Dill was the corporation counsefs bill
materially changed. Senator GallinRer
replied that the Commissioners had given
their approval to the Gallinger bill.
Differences Enumerated.
After The Stars report yesterday aft
ernoon closed Senator Works continued
to point out the differences between his
substitute and the Gallinger bill, and to
urge the provisions OF the substitute in
preference to those Of the Gallinger bill
Senator Works laid special stress on
the provisions Of his substitute providing
q means by which the commission may
determine whether it shall certify that
the corporation may issue the stock or
bonds that 1t asked for"
Leaving that out Of the section, as
mas been done by the pending BILL" re-
marked Mr.. Works, there are absolute
ly no means provided by which the COM
mission may determine that question
The senator Is not happy in his Ian
guage, remarked Senator Gallinger.
The senator says it is left out Of the
IN the bill reported by the committee of
the District Of Columbia Cthe general
provision giving the commission author
ity over issues Of new stocks or bonds
and the additional verbiage is the VERDI
age OF the senator taken from another
statute. 1t never appeared in the bill.
and hence was not left out of this bill. .
When I referred to the fact that 1t
was left out OF the BILL replied Senator
Works. "as l have explained more than
AlA
the Dill that was prepared by the corpo-
ration counsel
TT was left out on the statement Of
the corporation counsel that 1t was un-
necessary and that the commission
would have that authority anyway"
Corporation Counsel Quoted.
"As the senator from New Hampshire
has several times said.' retorted Mr..
Works. that the corporation counsel
consented to this and consented to thut,
and that he and a member Of the Dis
trict commission were present and con-
scented to these things, think 1 am
free to say that the corporation counsel
told me In express terms that he was not
satisfied with the omissions in the bill,
and that member of the District COM
mission. who was present at that time
told me exactly the same thing. and that
ed against
The chairman has not any recollection
OF anything of that kind happening at
any time." Mr.. Gallinger remarked. II
was present at meeting after meeting
with the corporation counsel, and know
precisely what happened"
The regulation Of the new issues Of
stocks and bonds and the uses to which
they may be put was the subject of
questions by Senator Pomerene. Senator
Aa1 hAra h.
the amount Of taxes which the public
utility corporations in the District pay
In answer, Senator Gallinger called at
tention to recent report from the Dis
trict Commissioners giving the exact
amount OF personal and real estate taxes
paid by every street and steam railroad
corporation in the District.
Stringent Legislation Not Necessary.
Senator Oliver of Pennsylvania. chair
man of the subcommittee Of the Senate
District committee. who jumped into the
discussion at that point, expressed the
opinion there was no great necessity for
stringent public utility legislation In the
District
Il know that when the universal trans
Ter bill. which we passed hero a short
time ago. and which is now pending in
the House, becomes q law" he said .sany
District to another for q nickel. 1 have
in my house here in Washington a tele-
phone service consisting Of line Of four
branches, for which l pay less than half
the amount that pay in Pittsburgh for
line with only three branches in my
residence there. I also know OF another
instance. In the little town in which 1
live In the summer in Canada, where /
have still smaller service, l pay so per
cent more for it than pay for the service
here in Washington.
IT do not believe that there is any
ton OF this kind in the District such as
there undoubtedly is In the different
states. The inhabitants of many of our
states have for years been oppressed by
exorbitant railroad rates and by the
in rates from one district
or one town as against another. The
necessity for such legislation in the states
has existed and Is being satisfied by legis-
lation passed year after year. There is
no such strong necessity for it in the
District, but whatever evils may exist l
think will be cured by the bill as propos-
ed by the committee. II 1t is found from
experience that the provisions need to
be strengthened. they can be added to
from time to time.
':But there Is danger, in passing legis-
lation Of this kind. OF OVERRIDING it. of
men from investing their
money In these public-utilities concerns 1
do not believe that we ought rashly to
to retard progress in such affairs or to
keep men Of capital from putting their
money and their time into these enter
prises and prevent giving to them the
benefit Of their experience.
Taxes Paid by Street Railways.
Following Mr.. divers speech. Senator