Evening star., 1922-01-23
QUESTION power
OSANCT|ON BUS
Right of Utilities Commission
to Grant Request of W. R.
& <. Co. Discussed.

Ihe question Of whether the Public
Utilities Commission has power to
authorlze a street railway company
TO engage in the motor bus business
was raised today at the hearing on
the application of the Washington
nah"ay and Electric Company for
permission to operate bus route on
Park road from Mount Pleasant street
to Georgia avenue.
william Nick. Clayton of the Fed
eration OF Citizens Associations, told
inc commission that he was not there
70 contend that the commission is
without such authority, but suggest
eu mat 1t would be well for the
to consider the legal side
VI the application before granting it.
n.1 r. bowen, attorney for the COM
Eiay;o adnltted, in answer to Mr..
Layton. that the charters of the
norse-car lines had to be amended
20 cnange to cable cars and later to
electric railway cars.
Given Implied Power.
Mf. bowen argued that the utilities
law gives the commission an implied
po"er 70 permit the company to oper-
ate Gus route as an auxiliary to
eaistlne street car lines, just as the
AP1Ay opcTdteS an appliance
store 10 sell implements used in the
consumption of gas. The company
cohtended. however, that the COM
mission would be without authority
route.
William F. Ham. president of the
Washington Railway and Electric,
testified that the company believes
the proposed bus route would prove
d great convenience to the patrons
OF the Mount Pleasant, 11th and 9Th
street car lines.
Letters were read from several of
the citizens associations in the terri
tory or the proposed route, APPROX
ing the application, but objecting to
the intention of the company to
charge cents for transfers to the
street railway lines.
Would Transfer to Own Line.
The Mount Pleasant association in
dorsed the proposition without OBJ
jecting to the transfer charge.
Answering question of Mr.. Clay
ton, Mr.. Ham said the Washington
sent to issue transfers to the 14th
s'r'" line Of the Capital Traction
Company.
Such a concession. he said would be
unfair to the w. r. & E, which
desires to establish the bus route for
Jn6 DeU6Ht It's oWn oH tNe
Mount Pleasant. 11th and 9th street
lines.
IF the public does not feel that this
auxiliary cross-town bus service
would be worth 2 cents to them. we
want them to object now before the
company spends a considerable sum of
money to try out the PLAN" Mr.. Ham
said.
Walter c. Allen. secretary to the
commission. called attention to the
fact that Park road is the running
line of two fire engine companies.
Necessary to Prohibit Parking.
Mr. Ham said it would probably be
necessary to prohibit parking ofauto-
mobiles on one side of Park road to
make room for the buses.
William G. Henderson Of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens Asso-
citation urged the company to extend
the bus route from Georgia avenue to
North Capitol and Michigan avenue
to give the residents of Brookland
and Bloomingdale a more direct route
across town.
Mr.. Ham pointed out that such an
extension would take the buses
through a long stretch of Improbable
territory, bordered on one side by the
Soldiers Home and on the other side
by the filtration plant. He said the
company has considaked the advis-
ability Of running TN buses east of
Georgia avenue as far as Soldiers
Home gate.
The commission announced it would
render decision as soon as possible.