Evening star., 1923-01-25


mission was virtually a part Of the
street car companies
McKeIIar Plan Defeated.
The efforts Of Senator McKellar also
to prevent appropriations for passen-
ger automobiles for the use of Dis
trict officials were defeated. The Sen
ate committee amendment regarding
passenger automobiles was adopted
by vote of 40 to 20.
An amendment offered by Senator
Curtis for beginning construction of
new Mckinley manual training
and east of 14th street, now owned
by the District, was defeated on
viva voce vote.
Blames "Lame Ducks.n
The votes of six '1ame-ducll'
senators, Senator Hef1in of Alabama
declared on the floor of the Senate,
following the passage of the District
appropriation bill, had prevented the
Senate from having an opportunity
to vote on the Mcclellan proposal to
bring about a return to five-cent
fares on the street railways of
Washington.
The Alabama senator was cut off
from addressing the Senate before
, the passage of the District bill by the
debate at ! o'clock and vote. When
he obtained the floor. after the
/ passage of the BILL he insisted that
the ruling of the Vice President hold
to cut off the funds of the Public
Utilities Commission until the COM
mission had compelled the street car
companies to return to Q five-cent
fare had been correct.
He Hkened the street car companies
ho
blood of the travelling public" He
called attention to the fact that Mayor
Hylan of New York had made a sue
cessful fight to maintain five-cent
said, the two New York senators,
Calder and Wadsworth, were found
voting to overrule the decision of the
Vice President and to prevent the
Senate from voting directly on the
question of flve-cent fares for Wash
/ ington.
Senator Hefin insisted that the
Senate would have agreed TO the Nc
kellar amendment if it had been di-
rectly before it. In looking over the
roll-call, Senator Hefiin said. he found
that six of those who voted to over
ruie the Vice President were senators
who had been defeated for re-elec-
tion. They were Senator Calder. New
York; Frelinghuysen, New Jersey:
Kellogg, Minnesota; McCumber, North
New, Indiana, ana 1OlnOcA-
ter, Washington.
The effect of their vote. he said.
would be to compel the people of the
District to continue to pay an eight
; cent fare. He said this was par
ticularly hard on families who had
schools. Those who own stock in
the street railways here, Senator
Hefiin declared, had done their ut
most to prevent a vote on the Nc
Kellar amendment.
MckelIar Calls Up Amendment.
Senator Mcclellan of Tennessee as
soon as the Senate met called up his
amendment, offered late last evening.
providing that the appropriations for
the Public Utilities Commission shall
not become available until the Public
Utilities Commission shall fix rates of
| fare for the street railway compa-
| nies in the District of Columbia at
fare fixed in existing charters or con-
tracts heretofore entered into be-
tween said companies and the Con-
/ gress. and. on or after February ],
1928. said companies shall receive a
rate of fare not exceeding cents per
passenger, and six tickets shall be
| sold for 25 cents"
Senator Phipps, in charge of the
bill, made a point of order against
the amendment, declaring that 1t
tion on an appropriation bill
Senator Harrison of Mississippi
pointed out that when the District
bill was before the Senate a year
ago, he had offered a similar amend
ment and that che chair had ruled
it in order on the ground that 1t was
a limitation on an appropriation.
The Senate at that time voted on
the amendment and defeated it.
Coolidge Overrules Point.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts
and Senator Jones of Washington
argued that the amendment was not
in order, but Vice President Coolidge
overruled the point of order.
Senator McKellar. arguing in sup
port of his amendment, said that the
Capital Traction Company last year
had paid dividends of Z per cent
on its capital stock, and that with
other earnings made the net earnings
of the company about 13 per cent.
Does the Public Utilities Commis-
sion thinkLth we are going to per-
! nit 1T to put a. tax of $3.50 a month
| on all the residents of Washington
! ator McKellar.. He declared that the
| company was violating it's former
contract, which provided for scent
fares.
! Attacks W. n. & Il. Lines.
Turning to the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company. Senator
McKenar charged the common stock,
amounting to $6,500,000. was wa
| tered Stock" and yet the company
was insisting that 1t had a right to
| earn a dividend on it.
| Referring to a published report
| that the public utilities commission
ers said that Congress had given the
I! commission the right to fix rates OF
1 fare for the. street car companies
| CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 5.