Evening star., 1922-01-14
ACuONTO RELIEVE .. C.HEADS
! OF UTILITIES CONTROL LIKELY
Senate District Committee Expected to
Report Favorably on Measure for Di-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Presented.

tles commission was forecast at the
hearings before the Senate District
dommittee yesterday on the several
measures pending there for provia-
fng suffrage and national representa-
don for the District Of Columbia.
"a measure lotkint to this divorce
nent of public utilities control from
the Commissioners Will be reported
hyorably by the Senate District
committee at it's meeting next We'd
4esday, it was indicated, and will be
pushed on the floor of the Senate. NO
such measure is at present pending
In the Senate committee, but 1t is
probable that one will be introduced
when the Senate meets Monday.
THE matter came up during the
cpurse of the statement of William
Nick. Clayton, who was arguing for
q spokesman in Congress for, the
people of the District. He said that
Qeen trying to have the Commisslon-
srs relieved OF the public utilities
control. -r.,.
Senator Jones Urges Bill.
"I think that control of. the public
Utilities should be taken from the
Commissioners" said Senator Jones
df Washington. Il don't know. why
We don't report a bill to change
Every member of the committee
and every member of the Senate is
eogniZant of the condition of the
public utilities here and realizes that
Apmething ought to be DONE" said
mittee. THE public utilities here
4eed attention more than anything
dse in this District. The railway
situation here is damnable. 1t is
4oing from bad. bad. bad to worse,
worse all the time. There should be
q public utilities commission here
Which would give its attention eX-
6usively to this railroad situation.
III hope that the matter Will be
Eought up at the next meeting CT
Senator Jones.
81 will bring it up and report it,"
Hsponded Senator Ball.
COlOred Issue Recalled.
John Fl. Adriaans spoke in opposi-
1on to suffrage yesterday. He. said
1hat the District lost its suffrage as
4 result of the adoption of the CON
&itutional amendment giving the
dblored man the right to vote, but at
he same time he challenged the
Rgality of the amendment, pointing
out that it was his opinion that 1T
Vas state right to say who should
vote He asked the committee not to
Nke any action which would return
Washington to conditions which eN-
Hted from 1902 to 1874, when the city
Had an autonomous government.
Z He attempted TO get into the record
q lengthy brief attacking the legality
6 the constitutional amendment Civ
Ng the colo-ed man the right to vote.
Out Senator Ball and Senator Jones
Apth objected to its admission, and
the former ruled 1t out. Senator Ball
said that this committee was not
Foing to thresh out any such conten-
uon as that, saying that it had moth
ing to do with the question of giving
suffrage to the District.
Regarded Temporary Action.
SWhen the organic act of 1873 was
adopted ii was never inteded that it
should be permanent, Mr.. Clayton ar
gued. He said that the debates in
Congress indicated that when the
vDte was taken away from thu Dis
trict people, it was only int&nded as
% temporary measure. he said that
all that any one asks here IL that
handle District affairs shall be elected
by the people. There is no demand
here at this time for local self-goY-
snasrstand sr5msns, 50 pIfsS fb @ r. .aIs .iAta 9
: Senator Jones asked Mr. Clayton if
He believed the District could get a
better administration and have better
officers than they now have if the
II do;;" ernphatieally responded Mr..
Clayton.
: Mr.. Clayton pointed out to the COM
hittee that the people here should
views officially before Congress, and
Indicated that sometimes. particularly
IN years gone by. the Commissioners
did not act in accordance with the
wishes of the people.
Submitted to COmmissiOners.
/ Senator Ball interrupted to an
Hounce that it was the uniform prac-
tice of the Senate District committee
now to send to the, District Conlmis-
sioners for investigation and recon-
mendation every single measure in
troduced in the Senate affecting the
District of Colum bia.
Nevertheless. Mr. = Clayton respond
ed, measures do pass without being
brought to the attention of the people
beforehand. He cited the su-called
Borland street paving law, under
which property owners are required
to pay one-half the cost of paving
abutting their property. Mr.. Clayton
said that the people never had an
opportunity to be heard on that meas
ure. He cited also the case of the
raising of the legal rate of interest
here from to per cent, pointing
out that people here now are being
forced to pay and per cent for
borrowed money. In this particular
case. he said. the measure was in
cluded among some amendments to
the District code. and no one knew
anything about it until it was passed.
Another phase developed by this par
ticular piece. Of legislation was the
contention of the public utilities here
that they We're entitled to a return
of s per cent, on their investment
If the District had had even A
voteless delegate at the time. it
would not have happened. said Mr.
Clayton.
Senator Bail interrupted to say that
III might have gone through anyway.
In the states, he said, they face the
same condition of measures being
slipped through during the closing
hours. without any one realizing what
they mean. i
Public Would Have Objected.
.'Ill tell You what would happen
here" said Mr.. Clayton, IF the
District had a delegate. If the dele
gate had let that slip through he
would have heard from the people
and he would not have been returned
II Congress"
sThere is a pressing need for a
representative in Congress who could
SPEAK with authority for the people
II the District. he continued. There
We're efforts recently of some interests
te strike down the building associa-
lions here. he, said. when one dele
ahtion wanted one thing. second
another, and third another, when
one member of Congress asked him
4hy there could not be somes one
officially in Congress such as dele.
aAte, who knew the situation and
&uld be looked to for the proper