The Washington times., 1921-07-22
Ne " MAN
VICTOR IN
FARE FIGHT
Utilities Export and Washing
ton Times Upheld in Battle
For Patrons.

The House District committee
slashed the Woods merger bill into
ribbons today ir q sensational meet
ing.
Representative Woods was turn
ed down in every fight he made for
his bill, and the celebrated "joker,"
exposed by Major Oliver. p. New
man, was cast out bag and baggage.
Victory for Public.
The bill in it's true form is a slip
perry shadow of the merger which II
was originally proposed to railroad"
through the House, and the result
a substantial victory for
the fight The Washington Times has
been making.
Section of the bill, which in It's
original form permitted d merger Of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company and the Potomac Electric
Power Company in advance OF trac-
ton merger, was amended 30 as to
provide for a car merger in advance
Of a joint consolidation.
Tho section now reads That the
said merger corporations shall be per-
mitted to consolidate with the Potomac
Electric Power Company"
Amendment Passed.
The vote upon this amendment was
. to I.
Congressmen Focht. Wheeler, Zihl-
man, Lambert, Walters, Sproul, Fftz-
gerald, Hammer and Kunz voted in
favor Of the amendment.
Congressman Reed, Millsbaugh,
Brown and Woods voted against 1t.
Following this the bill was again
struck a body blow by an additional
amendment to section 2. The clause
providing that tho consolidated
corporations shall be entitled to q
7 per cent return on its fair value
was stricken out.
In its place was left the phrase
ology "a reasonable return on the
fair value Of the merged corpora
tions."
Congressman Walters offered an
amendment to the bill, which would
compel the Washington Railway and
Electric Company to divest itself of
all the stock of the Potomac Electric
Power Company that It now holds.
This amendment was voted down.
Hammer Is Opposed.
During the discussion Of the bill suf-
ficient opposition developed to shake
the plan of those who had determined
opOh OIL C1LiJ IcpOIt INC f1Ou0S.
Congressman Lambert said he was op-
posed to the bill In principle, and
would give a minority report. In this
statement he was Joined by Congress-
man Hammer. who said frankly that
he did not believe the bill would ever
pass either the House or the Senate,
unless 1t was radically changed.
Blanton Flays BIN.
Congressman Blanton made an ex-
tended statement to the COMMITTEES In
which he denounced the subsidies"
given to the traction companies in
the bill.
What this bill really amounts to-"
said Blanton, 'is bribe to induce
these two traction companies to
merge. They demand subsidy from
us before they will consolidate and
this bill tries to give 1t to them"
The Public Utilities Commission
VAS denounced by several members
of the committee for not reducing
street car fares, Congressman Sproul
said that IL there had been no Public
Utilities Commission in the District
of Columbia, the companies wouh
stin be compelled to operate on their
pre-war contract rate. Heated dis
oussion followed in which the policy
Of the commission was defended.
The District Committee probably
will hold another meeting in which
to make further amendments to the
Woods bill.
In it's new form the Woods bill is
not satisfactory. to the interests which
originally supported 1t, and II is pos.
sible that the matter Of merger
islation may not be pressed under
conditions. Another meeting of the
committee will be necessary to de-
termine the exact situation with
regard to the bill.