The Washington times., 1925-10-13
BUS DIREGT|O ION
URGED UPON
STATES
William D. B. Ainey, President,
Opens Utilities Commissions
ers' Meet at MayfIoWer

Regulation OF motor bus trans
portatiOn in the District OF Co
iumbia and throughout the United
States by State and municipal
agencies, operating under Federal
authority, was strongly recommend
ed to the National Association Of
Railroad and Utilities Commissions
ers, by William D. 3. Ainey, of
Pennsylvania, president of the
organization, at the opening Of the
associations thirty annual
convention, in the Mayflower
Hotel, today.
Looms As Problem.
The bus problem doomed today as
the most important business OF the
convention. 1t was the general
opinion among the delegates, as
they assembled, that this form or
transportation has grown so rapidly
that existing laws governing com.
mon carriers OF passengers and
freight are Inadequate.
John e. Benton, general solicitor
Of the associations is to report to-
morrow afternoon. on proposed
legislation to control the motor bus
as a public utility. Should the
plan be accepted, 1t will immediate.
ly be put into form for submission
to Congress at the next session.
However. the road to bus control
Is not a rosy one. apparently, mas
much as Secretary of Comnerco
Herbert Hoover. in an address to
the convention "wednesday night
will, 1t was learned. advocate local
instead Of Federal regulation OF
electric public utilities.
1t is considered inevitable by
many Of the delegates that Secre-
tary Hoover will bring the motor
bus into his address. because the
bus is so closely allied to the cleo.
trio street car as a transportation
medium.
Plan Is Favored
A large faction within the asso-
citation is strongly in favor Of the
plan outlined in the Presidents adj
dress-that of bus control by State
bodies acting as Federal agents.
Another important group supports
the idea which Secretary Hoover is
expectedIto develop in his address
tomorrow night.
In speaking to the delegates to.
day, President Ainey deplored the
lact OF Standardization in the mat
ter OF arriving at valuations Of pub.
AA GAAAAIN U1OpCILlCS
He suggested that an appropriate
committee of the association and
the American Bar Association should
be appointed to remedy this diff.
Guilty. ra.,s ...,,. -,
President Ainey, In his report,
stated his opinion that valuation
is not an essential prerequisite Of
rate determination" contending that
the process has been "set up by
public utilities companies az q
boundary beyond which commits
sion may not go in establishing
rates"
Experts Differ
He declared there existed no
unanimity of opinion among experts
on the question of depreciation de-
auctions in valuation, some con-
tending that the rate of return
should be based on the original in
vestment, others holding that the
present value is the proper start
ing point.
This and other technical ques-
tons illustrate the need for a
standardization of valuation methods.
he said.
Engineer Commissioners j. Frank
lin Bell in welcoming the dele
"a fairly complete system OF street
railways and a rapidly developing
system. or lack of system. of bus
transportation. Dwight Lewis, OF
sDes Moines, responded.
Reports were received from vari-
GUS officers of the organization.