Evening star., 1921-02-28
CAR lines MERGER
WITH POWER GAINS
BY SENATE REPORT
Local Electric Roads Would
All Be Included Under
Committees Proposal.
LEGISLATION GETS WIDER
SCOPE BY AMENDMENT
Provisions of Senator Frances Bill
Combined With First Section
of House Measure.

A merger of the street car COM
panies of the District of Columbia
and the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany is authorized in bill reported
to the Senate favorably today by the
Senate District committee.
The bill was introduced by Senator
France Of Maryland, and in its
original form provided only for the
merger of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company and the
Potomac Electric Power Company. the
. former owning all the stock of the
latter. The Senate committee, how
ever, amended the bill by adding the
hrst section of the so-called Woods
bill. introduced in the House. which
Traction Company. the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. the
,Georgetown and Tennaleytown Rail-
way Company, the Washington Inter-
and Suburban railway of Washington
The Senate committee added to this
list the Washington and Rockville
Rahway Company of Montgomery
county
Greatest Step Yet Taken.
The step taken by the Senate COM
mfttee today is regarded at the Capitol
as the greatest step yet taken toward
merger Of all the street RAILWAYS
and the power company.
While members Of the committee ad.
mitted that in view Of the fact that
Congress adjourns March T. it NAV not
be possible to obtain final action on
this bill, they express the belief that
the favorable report was a move in
the right direction.
II possible. the bill will be put
through before adjournment, they said
Ii not. the new Congress, which will
meet IN extra session this spring, will
have the benefit of the report and
hearings on the measure
Senators Ball of Delaware, Pomerene
OF Ohio and Capper Of Kansas, at the
committee meeting today. all express
ed themselves as desirous of bringing
about a merger of the street railway
sof solving tho street railway problem
here.
The France bill providing for
mefgersof tf,E Washington Railway
Company and the Potomac Electric
Power Company, has been put
forward as the necessary step to
bring about q merger OF the street
car companiea The senator's TODAY
however. were unwilling to report
the France bin without inserting the
Capital Traction Company and the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company and its subsidiary com
panies also.
". r. e. Attitude.
y. II. Warner, jr.. representing the
washington Railway and Electric
Company and the Potomac Electric
Power Company. who met with the
committee today. said that the COM
panies he represented had no objec-
ffon whatever to an ultimate merger
OF the street car companies.
He expressed a fear that an amend
ment of the France bill. which has
been reported as the Could bill to the
House. might cause the legislation to
fail.
Senator Ball and Senator Pomerene
declared that they saw no reason why
members of the House. sympathizine
with the plan for a merger of the
street railway companies. should OBJ
ject to the amendment.
When Col. Kutz. District Commits
sioner. and chairman of the Public
Utilities Commission. appeared before
the Senate committee a week ago, he
urged that II the committee should
eport. the France bill. it should
amend it by authorizing a merger
of the street car companies.