Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-06-22
District Committee Votes
Bill Must Go Through
Proper Channels.
CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS
IN TILTS AT THE Meeting
Focht Defeated and Measure Per-
hitting Consolidation Sent
to Subcommittee.

chairman fOCnt Ol tHc IlooSe DiS-
trict committee failed today in q per-
sistent effort to have the committee
report out the Ball Focht bill, which
would remove the legislative prohi-
bition by Congress against the merger
of the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany and the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, which includes per-
mission for all street car lines in the
District to merge.
It was a spirited meeting OF the
committee. with warning given to the
chairman by Representatives Keller OF
Minnesota and Woodruff of Michigan
that any attempts to rush through
legislation without referring the olils
to proper subcommittee would cause
dissension and fight within the COM
mittee.
Representative Keller. supported by
Representatives Woodruff Of Michi-
! gan. Kunz of Illinois and Hammer OF
North Carolina, protested against the
full committee considering the Ball
Focht bill until it had been passed
upon. with all other measures relating
| to the street car problem, by the SUB.
committee. Represe ntative Woods OF
| Virginia. the ranking democrat. sup
ported Chairman Focht in the effort to
get immediate action on this permis-
sive legislation in the committee.
W. r. Hsm Mt Meeting.
William F. Ham. president of the
Washington Railway and Electric
| Company and og the Potomac Electric
| Power Company. was present on IN
vitation of Chairman Focht. to present
the views of those two public utilities
| relative to the proposed legislation:
! BY a unanimous vote it was decided
! that Mr. Ham should be invited before
the subcommittee on street railway
! problems Friday. when Chairman
Zihlman expects to get a report to the
full committee.
| Mr.. Ham discussed the situation
. regarding both the power and street
railway companies for more than half
| an hour today. with the understand
| for the benefit of Representatives
Lambert of Wisconsin and Sproul of
| Illinois. two members of the sub
| committee. who were absent today,
assurance having been given them at
a meeting Of the subcommittee last
week that no action would be taken
on the traffic problem in their absence.
| There was a heated argument be-
tween Representative Keller and
| Chairman Focht and between Repre-
sentative woodruff and Chairman
| Focht on the question OF policy raised
| by his proposal to rush through his
i own bill without II having been re-
| ferred to the subcommittee. the same
! street railway situation. Mr.. Focht
/ contended that as the committee in
| the last Congress had ordered re-
i port on this bill by 13 to ! vote.
and as it was permissive legislation
to remove congressional barrier.
i while the other measures were in
the nature Of swinging club" over
! the street car lines. ii had an entirely
different status.
Commission Is Bombarded.
4 Representative Kunz vigorously crit
icised the Public Utilities Commission.
He declared that it is useless to in
troduce many bills to convince the
| nublic that a merger is necessary for
q reduction of fares and better serv-
| ice. He said the people of the District
are in a Situation where the traction
| companies are doing as they please.
i "The Public Utilities Commission
has mismanaged the situation and is
not competent to handle it," said Mr..
kunz He declared that there is only
| one action to be taken by Congress.
! that is, put the companies where
| they belong and make them under
stand they must give service to the
mi ssion did its duty by the people IL
would order Interchangeable transfers
on all lines"
/ M. Ham was invited to explain to
the committee how the same tokens
are sold aid used en- both lines il the
corporations arc independent. His
(; explanation showed tina. the same sys-
/, tenn is used as in a clearing house
| for banks.
Never Violated Law.
Mr.. Ham then branched OF into an
| explanation of the situation, which
has resulted from fifty years OF de-
! velopment, he. himself. having been
! .f bino q ~
and Electric Company during the en-
tire period of electrical development.
Mr.. Ham challenged any member OF
Congress to point out any particulars
| in which any car company had vio-
lated the law. He summarized the
explained how the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company lad ac-
| ouircd the entire capital s',S:k - the
| Potomac Electric Power Co,n,a.s,. He
insisted that ;he: had beer using all
their resources ard best efforts of
these two public utilities to make the
hest use of their facilities under COM
mon ownership.
MIR. Ham was questioned in detail
regarding the electric charges ey the
Potomac Es.ctric Power Company. re-
garding tae court injunction and the
more han s2.000,0 900 fund which has
accrued a:.Ier the disputed rates.
| He was also questioned closely re-
! RardllR lne COHbInOH StoCh VI tHe
Washington hallway and Electric
Company and emphasized that Con-
gress had authorized that company to
issue SIT 900 worth of stock and
reorcan:ze the Washington Traction
Electric Company. which had failed.
Under :he direction Of Congress. he
said. $8, 500, 900 of preferred stock had
been issued and $500. 900 OF common
stock.
ling is q reasonable return on a fair
valuation Of our property as deter
mined BY the Public Utilities Commits
sion" MIR. Ham told the committee.
questioned b. Mr.; kuntz. he said
he certianly not less than Z per cent
and that it might be per cent with
great propriety. Less than per cent.
nsax properly tc serve the public
The s.-sngest companies in the coun-
try. he rointeS cut. DO not expect to
go into tee market and SstA "sr>caS- q
less than I per cent.
rons1 aFRS THREE BILLS.