Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-13
FEARS TRANSFER BILL
WILL NOT STAND TEST
Mr.. Johnson Thinks Senate
Measure Will Have to
Be RedraWn.

That the bill for universal transfers or
the street railways of the District passed
by the Senate will not stand the test o.
the courts, and that in fact, 1t does ho'
provide for universal transfers. is the
opinion of Representative Johnson. CHAIR
man of the House District committee
Mr.. Johnson told a reporter for Inc
Star today that he believed the House
District committee would have to frame
practically a new measure before report
ing it to the House.
A hearing OF the Senate bill, which has
the support of the District Commissions
ers, was given by the House District
committee this morning. Charles w. Darr
P. v. Heating, Philip ]. Ryan. and Evans
Tucker We're heard on behalf Of the citi-
zens and the various organizations which
are urging the enactment into law OF 9
universal transfer measure President
King of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company and President Hamil-
ton of the Capital Traction Company
were both present to be heard, but the
hearing adjourned before they were given
an opportunity to speak.
Chairman Johnson announced after
the hearing that further hearings on
the measure would be given. and that
the date of the next hearing would be
named at the meeting of the District
committee next Friday.
Mr.. Darr Presents New Bill.
Little progress was made with the
matter in hand today. Mr.. Darr, the
first speaker. told the committee that
he represented the Chamber of Com
merce, the citizens conference on uni
versal transfers, and other bodies.
He gave an outline of the efforts to
obtain legislation along the line of uni
versal transfers, and wound up by pre-
senting new bill, as a substitute for the
Senate measure. MIR. Darr said that the
citizens conference had become convinc-
ed that the Senate bill would not be eff
fective, but that the conference wished
to obtain half Loaf If it could not OBJ
tain whole loaf. and for that reason
1t would urge the passage of the Senate
bill by the House. with amendments. If
the proposed substitution was not select
ed for report by the committee.
A little diversion was created at this
stage of the proceedings by w. A. Foster
who asked Mr.. Darr by what right he
claimed to represent the Chamber OF
Commerce in presenting substitute bill
Mr.. Foster said that he was a member OF
the chambers universal transfer commit
tee, and that he had no authorization fol
such a move. Mr.. Darr replied that the
chamber had given him power in the mat
ter.
Says Bill Will Not Hold.
p " Heating of the citizens confer
ence was the next speaker. He made
detailed criticism Of the Senate bill. at
tempting to show that it was contra
dictory and ineffective. He attacked par
ticularly that provision which relates to
the division of the receipts between the
companies when transfer is given, de-
claring that the proposed law would
t6av TOW in ho al oh
court hold that the rates suggested by
the Commissioners were unreasonable. or
If the railroad companies failed to reach
any agreement, as ordered by the Com
missioners. He suggested that the power
should be given the court to say what
was reasonable arrangement
Representative Dies of Texas entered
protest here on the ground that such
function was legislative and not jul
dical and the court would very properly
refuse to set any rate. He suggested that
the matter should be returned to the
Commissioners SO that they could make
another rate, and if the companies failed
to agree it could again come before the
court.
A question was raised as to what ''uni-
versal transfers." the term used in the
bill, really are. Chairman Johnson de-
clared that this must be more clearly
determined. Representative Anderson re-
ferred him to the title of the bill.
Title Not Part of Law.
''The title of bill or law is never con-
strued as part of the law" said Mr..
Johnson. I'm fact" he added, as laugh
went around. 1.-The title of bill is usually
intended to prevent a knowledge of what
the bill actually proposes TO do"
p j. Ryan spoke. he said, for the Cen
trail Labor Union of the District He de-
clared that it was most interested in hav-
ing a universal transfer measure enacted
into law.
Although the representatives of the
street railways were not heard. President
King of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company announced that he
should want considerable time to lay his
views and arguments before the commit
tee as he intended to take the matter up
in q broader way than heretofore.
Among those present at the hearing
were E. c. Graham, chairman Of the
Board of Trade transportation committee,
and w. NICK. Clayton. president Of the
Federation Of Citizens Associations. Mr.
CLAYTON said after the meeting that he
intended to urge that the entire matter
of universal transfers be left to the pub
lie utilities commission. for which meas
ure is now pending before Congress. He
said that the matter would thus be