Evening star., 1921-05-14
EFFORTS TO AGREE
ONMERGER TERMS
BELIEVED failure
Conferees on Street Car
Problem Expected to Give
Up Their Task.
CONFERENCE LIKELY
TO END NEXT TUESDAY
Statement Explaining Reasons
Why No Progress Has Been Made
Probably Only Result.

Efforts TO effect merger of Wash
ington's traction interests by volun-
tary agreement are believed today TO
have failed.
Formal announCemnt TO this effect
is expected to be made next Tuesday,
when the merger Conferecs probably
will hold their last meeting.
Next week. according to very definite
indications today. will see the problem
of getting the street car companies
together shifted to the CapltoI. "hers
subcommittee of the Senate and
House District committees Will
wrestle with il. JOINT committee Ses-
sions are 4 prospect.
Company Officials silent.
Representatives of the Capital Trac-
ton and Washington Railway and
Electric companies ana the fubilc
Utilities Commission, who have been
participating IT the voluntary merger
conferences, declined today to give
any Indication as to the status OF
their negotiations.
While the possibility of an eleventh
hour development which would bring
about a consolidation agreement Is
admitted. the prevailing opinion at
the District building today was that
Tuesdays meeting would be for the
purpose Of winding up the conference
ana issuing SldltIucHI SApiaiiIh5
why it had failed to produce the re-
suits hoped for.
Outcome TO Be known Soon.
Representative Frederick n. Zihl-
man of Maryland, chairman of the
subcommittee on merger OF the House
District committee. was told by
Chairman kutz of the Public Utilities
Commission last week that the out.
come of the voluntary meetings would
be known within ten days At the re-
quest of Chairman KutZ Mr.. Zihlman
agreed TO delay the beginning of the
congressional merger inquiry for that
length of time.
Mr. Zihlman is planning. to get his
committee together early next week.
He has discussed with Senator Ball
the desirability of Il joint considera-
tion of the merger problem by the
Senate and House District committees.
Difficulties legal and otherwise. in
The way Of consolidating the traction
interests are appreciated by Mr.. Zihl-
man and hls associates on the commit
tee. who Win approach the task that
has been assigned them with a full
Consciousness of the perpiexity of the
problem. They do not anticipate an
easy time in reaching a solution.
Representative Kunz, a member of
M- Iihlman's subcommittee. is ex-
pected to take an active part in the
Investigation. as he is familiar with
the steps that were taken to bring
together the traction interests in
chicago. He has made the sugges-
ton that the committee employ
practical street railway man to make
a surrey of the local situation and
report as TO the most feasible plan
Of getting the Washington companies
together.
Sentiment for L. 8. Ownership.
One member of Mr.. ZihIman's sub
committee is understood already to
have declared himself in favor OF gov
eminent ownership of the local trac-
tion lines. 1t is assured there is a
diversity of opinion in the committee
which will result in every angle of
the street car situation being can
Vassed and every proposed remedy
being inves, ,igated. The present plan.
however. is to dispense with hear
ings. The committee believes there
arc enough data before Congress now
for it's proper guidance and that hear
ings could add but little to the in
formation already collected 1t is the
purpose of the committee to expedite
its work in order that definite recon-
nendationS for the permanent scure
of Washington's traction ills may be
submitted to Congress in time for action
at this session.