Evening star., 1923-02-02
ACTION ON STREET
CAR CASE DELAYED
Committee Fails to Make
Move on Legislation for :
Lack of Quorum.

| The House District committee failed
today to get action on legislation in
tended to relieve the street car situa-
tion in the National Capital. Repre-
| sentative Fred N. Zihlman of Mary
land, supported by Chairman Focht of
/ the District committee and Repre-
| sentative Sproul of Illinois, endeavor-
| ed to get favorable report on the
Senate bill 'fathered by Senator Ball
and amended by Senator Jones of
| Washington. Action was prevented
! however by Representative Lampert
! of Wisconsin. who raised point of
no quorum, and by Representative
| Underhill of Massachusetts, who with
drew from the committee, thereby
breaking all possibility of a quorum.
| The Senate bill, 1t was explained
] would permit a merger and the Jones
4 amendment would protect the public
| interest, it was claimed. because 1t
| provides for excess profits tax Of SO
| per cent on the net return above G
J per cent and IS per cent recapture on
| net returns in excess of : per cent.
Amendment Sought.
| Repre- sentative Hammer of North
! Carolina made a vigorous effort to
f, have the Senate bill amended to carry
his provision which would allow any
street car company to purchase the
| Shares of another company. hut was
so worded that the Washington Rail
| way and Electric Company would not
+, be able to acquire the stock of the
l I, Traction (snnlnany
Representative Hammer made re-
! peated and emphatic charges that the
| Washington Railway and Electric
Company has for twenty years been
| throttling all efforts to secure legts-
lati"n. and he said that interest in
! the senate bill had died as soon as
! the, Public Utilities Commission had
let it be known that il would op-
pose that legislation
! Representative Hammer said tha;
! the Senate hill is tantamount TO ner-
!nitting the Washington Railway aud
! Electric Company TO merge with the
| Potomac Electric Power Company
and use the borrowing power OF tha,
pr"ntabie concern In order to make
! further mortgages
Representatives Blanton said: Il am
| not IN favor OF giving the street ca!
companies anything. II We relieve
the people of the incubus OF the Pub
/ lie Utilities Commission we will ge;
back to = 0-cent fare
Representative Hammer paid high
tribute TO the knowledge that Co!
hntz, formerly Engineer Commits
Sloner. had of the street railway sit
I aation and Of his valuable efforts u
nnd Il solution Of the situation A,
th' same tim" he criticized Engineer
itornmisSiouer Keller az d new mar
i"n the job. wh" knew nothing Of the
local street railway situation before
he assumed this " Drk and has had No
. llTEte II 10 a
ith" r@rent statement by Engineer
comm .sSi"ner Keller as chairman al
The Public Utilities Comm !ssion. reac
l." him like a BRIEF for the Washing.
tor halfway and Electric cOmpany
To Resume Fare Fight.
Representative sproul said that II
the Utilities Commission was abol.
ished and the District went back 10
the original contracts with thu
street railway companies when they
We're GRANTED their franchises ii
would be possible to get back to a
I tive-ceut fare
Representative Hammer insisted
that the only way to get action nov
- through his amer dfnent a Ifd served
notice that unless the committee does
take som" prompt action he viii! do
his best u get government owner.
ship put through.
Representative l.ampeIt Of Wisconsin
and Repre- sentative Bianton ~ Taxa.
hfV- agreed that when this matter
comes up again Is the order OF spe-
W rdnesday they will endeavor Il
put through . terse proposition di,
recting the Public Utilities Commits.
sion not to fix any street car fare,
, III excess Of those provided for In the
original contract with the street rail.
way companies. and setting aside any
! fares since established.
Representative Zihlman. who Is
chairman OF the subcommittee thai
reported two bills to Congress the
first Of which died Oh the calendar anC
the second OF which was returned tc
the committee with the enacting
clause stricken out. explained the
history Of recent street car legisla-
ton. He said that the committee has
been working for more than thref
years: has thus far accomplishe et
| nothing and owes il as a solemn duty
to the car-riding public to give re.
lief At this session Of Congress IL pos
sible.
He laid particular stress on the
| fact that the so-called concessions te
! the street car companies in proposed
Legislation to relieve them of the
per cent gross tax and of the main.
! tenance of crossing policemen anc
paving charges, which would amount
to about 100000 IL year. really does
not affect the earnings of the street
car companies. because these ex.
III
street car riders.
ProfitH Tax Plan.
I Representative Zihlman insisted
that if there is to be any action tc
relieve the situation at this session
of Congress It must be had through
! the Senate bill which is now await
! ing action in the House.
| Representative Underhill Of Massa-
! chusetts emphasized that the excess
profits tax plan is the same as adopt.
! ed in most of the cities of the coun-
| try, and Representative Zihlmar
! added "and by the government it
self"
Representative Sproul Of illinois
urged reporting out the Senate bill
predicting that it will pass the House
! and saying that if this was not done
no action could be had at this Con.
gress.
Representative Blanton pointed out
! there were $4,000 school children In
! the District who are charged full
fares. whereas in most cities of the
country the children ride for hall
| fares.
SENATE. REBUKES
| HEEI IN EnR WnRnS