The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-10

CONDEMNS
VV()Oleb|LL
Federation Head Says Pepco-
w. R. E. Merger Would
Be Infinite Calamity.
BY MAI. OLIVER p. NEWMAN,
Formerly President, Board ofNCommis-

By MAI. OLIVER p. NEWMAN,
Formerly President, Board ofNCommis-
sioners, District of Columeta.
Vigorous opposition to the Woods
bill, now before the House District
committee. was launched last night
by WashiDRtoh's organized citizenry.
W. 3. tyVestlske, president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
came out in direct and emphatic dis
and in his stand has be-
hind him the 10000 members of the
heighborhood organizations compris-
ing the Federation .--.
TO FIGHT PEpcO MERGER.
Mr.. Westlake had already filed with
the committee the Federation's writ
ten protest against the thing which
the Woods bill would accomplish-the
merger of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company and tho Po-
tomac Electric Power Com pary-and
now he has thrown the weight of the
organization of which he is the head
into the night. s-s .-".
The Woods bill" said Mr.. West
lake, in a statement to The Times. "is
more vital and fundamental in the In
inquity OF it's provisions than, be-
lieve. most members of Congress real
ize. 1t purports to be something that
might bring .about a merger of the
two big street car systems II also
proposes a change in the method of
taxing them, and provides for reliev-
ing them of payment Of paving be-
tween their rails and of the salaries
of crossing policemen.
TT also authorizes fatty, without
conditions other than petty details
acceptable to the Washington Railway
and Electric. the absorption of the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company by the
Washington Railway and Electric
and that's the only thing II would ac-
complish, because it's other provisions
depend on the merger of the two car
companies before they are effective.
There is no string, however, on
the authority for the Washington
Railway and Electric and Potomac
Power to merge. This means that the
bill is, actually, a merger bill for the
railway company and the power COM
pany."
BASIS OF CITIZENS STAND.
In this connection II is we'll to re-
member that of the seven recommen-
dations made to the House District
Committee by the Federation of Cit
liens Associations, through Mr..
westlake. Number one is as follows:
That the federation again records
it's firm opposition to any independent
merger OF the Washington Railway
and Electric Company and the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company"
The only citizenship organization
we have land II is a representative
cnt) is the Federation of Citizens
Associations. Its attitude, therefore,
nn this point is worthy of most ser.
icus consideration, especially in the
House District Committee, which now
fht the street car question under con-
sideration. II the committee has any
concern for the wishes of the resi-
dents Of Washington, IL will at least
stop. look and listen to what Mr..
Westlake and the federation has to
say.
-T'he reason believe that many
members of Congress do not appre-
cin'c the seriousness OF the Woods
Nin," continued Mr.. westlake, 'is
that doubt IL they know that the
tt KING in of the power company by
the W. shington Railway and Electric
will mean an Increase In electric
light rates to Offset the losses OF the
st eet car lines.
"Tu my mind this suggestion is in
iquit;cus almost to the point of be-
ing an outrage. believe Congress
would have just as much right to
raise electric light rates in Washing
ton and take .he surplus thus OBJ
tanned and apply 1t to losses on n
street car system in New orleans. as
IN apply II to losses on street car
system here. The principle would
not be one whit different.
Il don't know whether or not mem
bers of Congress have been hearing
from their constituents about the
(Contnued on Pare 4, Column q