Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-07
DELAYS LEGAL FIGHT
Filing of Demurrers to Merger
Suit Held Up.
SUDDEN DECISION REACHED
Action Yesterday Planned by Two
Defendant Companies.

An eleventh-hour decision reached YES
terday afternoon by two OF the defendant
companies to hold up the filing of de-
murrers to the merger suit instituted
10y the District of Columbia Commissions
ers probably will result in the legal battle
over the right of the fifty-million dollar
Washington Utilities Company to absorb
local public service corporations not
being commenced for a week or ten days
Not fewer than five separate demurrers
are to be filed on behalf of the defendants
named in the bill, it is learned and two
OF these. it had been announced, were to
have been filed yesterday. 1t was decided
at late hour. following conference of
attorneys. TO submit the various answers
10 the Commissioners suit at the same
time. which will necessitate a delay of
about a week
The demurrers that We're TO have been
fled yesterday are those of the Wash
ington Utilities Company and the Wash
ington-N Virginia Railway Company. Gardi-
ner l. BoOthe of Alexandria Va John
). Barbour of Fairfax, Va, and Norman
Grey of Camden, y. j., represent the two
corporations
Will Answer simultaneously.
Following a conference between Attor-
ney Boothe and j. j. Darlington attorney
for the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. who had prepared a separate
answer for this concern. il was decided
TO postpone replying To the Commission
ers' suit until A. s Worthington counsel
for W. b. Hibbs, who is named as a de-
PENDANT. had prepared demurrer for
Mr. Hibbs.
This means that the respective answers
Of the Washington Utilities Company, the
~ ashington Virginia Railway Company
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company and Mr. Hibbs will be made
simultaneously. At the same time it is
likely that demurrer on the behalf OF
Clarence =. King, president of the WASH
ington Railway and Electric Company.
also named as defendant. will be
filed by his attorney, Charles r. Holm of
New York.
hearing on the demurrers probably
will be held within ten days after they
have been filed in the Supreme Court OF
the District of Columbia.
Factor in Local Transportation.
Although the Commissioners suit is to
prevent the Washington Utilities Com
pany. a foreign corporation. from ANAL
gamating local public service CORPORA
tions, that concern is now factor i'm the
transportation business of the District of
columbia, as is evidenced by street car
tickets issued by IL bearing the words
Good for one fare in the District of
Columbia.
Since the institution of the Commission
ers suit this Washington Utilities Com
pany has acquired the Washington Vir-
ginia Railway Company, which operates
electric lines between Washington and
nearby points in Virginia The new cor
poration, in accordance with the practice
of local street railway companies. sells
six tickets for twenty-five cents, the tick
cts resembling in size and general appear
ance those sold by other District street
railway concerns for the same price
Ii is stated by officials of the company
that the tickets are sold only in the Dis
trict of Columbia between the companv's
station at 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue and Highway bridge, and that
they are good on all other street railway
lines in the District.