The Washington herald., 1912-12-04
UTILITIES BILL
WILL Be RUSHED.
Logical Way Of Preventing Merger
of Electric Railway Lines Has
Been Decided Upon.
oLDFIELD MEASURE
IS THE SALVATION
Instrument Is Considered the Most
Important Of All District
Legislation.
ny JOSEPH r. AMIN.

| ny JOSEPH r. AMIN.
As the most logical and surest means
Of throwing the spotlight Of publicity
upon the motives behind the proposed
merger Of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company lines with those Of
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Traction Cor
poratIon, It has been decided to report
| out and pass the oIdield public utilities
| bill in the House at the earliest oppor-
| tunity
! 1t became known yesterday that OBJ
stacles which have been responsible for
! the delay in considering the Oldheld
measure have been Obviated, and that
she leaders on the House District Com
mittee. where the bill has lain for sew
eral months. are bending every effort to
secure its passage before the holiday
| recess.
! II is possible. though not, probable,
that the measure may be ordered report
ed before the end Of the week, and be
| brought before the House next Monday,
the first District day Of the session
Chairman Johnson has not announced his
plans. but IL the committee meets FRI
day. the regular meeting day, an EFFORT
Will be made to secure immediate consid-
Grafton for the measure. II the bill comes
from the District Committee in time for
consideration Monday. the probabilities
are that 1t can be passed in the House
and sent to conference Immediately. as IT
will be assured OF the support of the
! Democratic leaders in the lower cham
Der. It is not believed that an extended
conference will ensue.
The Gallinger bill. which the Senate
passed last session, is very similar to the
| Oldfeld measure, and. in fact. formed
the basis for Mr.. Oldfelds bill With
the desire TO have II enacted in time to
| cirCumyent the plans of the financiers
behind the merger plan strong in the
minds Of those who will make up the
| conference committee, IL is believed the
differences will be adjusted without a
great deal of delay.
| Mr.. Oldfield has not abandoned his plan
| to have introduced a resolution calling
! for a Congressional investigation Of the
proposed merger. but he believes that the
enactment OF an utilities law would be
more effective IN disclosing the real plans
Of the promoters.
Merits of Two Bills.
Both of the bills, in creating the Dis
trict Commissioners a public utilities
commission, vest in them the brOadest
visitorial powers. The Oldfeld measure.
| In addition. orders the commission to
| q -
| tenn OF universal transfers, while the
Gallnger bill leaves the question open
for the commission to settle. However, a
| universal transfer bill was passed in the
Senate last session. and the Senate con-
ferees may be willing to accept the Old
field measure with that provision.
| The unwillingness OF members OF the
| House District Committee to attend meet
iugs because OF the possibility that they
might be called upon to consider the
Works-JOhes liquor bill was generally
believed to have been responsible for the
failure Of the public utilities measure to
receive consideration last session. 1t is
true that the liquor question, injected
so soon after their campaigns for re-
election. scared away enough members
Of the District Committee to prevent the
assembling of quorum for two months
before Congress adjourned last sum-
mer. but It is also true that given a
quorum the members would not have
been asked to consider the utilities bill.
Chairman johnson has taken a partic-
ularly keen interest in the measure, and
was unwilling that It be permitted to go
before the committee until he had sub
jected 1t to the closest scrutiny. Mr..
Johnson was on the lookout for "jokers'
He did not. however. complete his study
of the bill before Congress adjourned
and. It is understood, he took the meas
ure home with him, intending to finish
the job there. Information received yes
terday was to the effect that, while Mr.
Johnson had not entirely completed his
study, he expects to be prepared to hand
the bill over to the committee at the
first meeting. 1t is understood that the
District Committee chairman has found
time this summer to get through the best
part OF the bill.
The utilities measure IS considered by
far the most important piece of legis-
latlon the District has asked OF the last
| two Congresses. 1t was framed after a
careful study OF the latest public utility
laws of New York, Ohio. California
and Maryland, and is supposed to con.
tain the best features OF these statutes
| II is Endorsed by the Commissioners OF
the District and by the various civic
bodies here, and in the Senate District
Committee was framed after extended
conferences with representatives Of all
the interests involved. Those who have
watched the progress Of the measure ex-
press the highest confidence in its in
tegrity and are unable to account read
lily for the hardness which has marked
its course In the House District Com
mittee.