Evening star., 1926-04-21
UTILITIES BOARD
MEASURE FAVORED
House District Committee
Also Approves Licensing
Chiropractors.

A favorable report on the bill Gre
ating q public utilities commission sep
arate and apart from the Board or
District Commissioners was ordered
by the House District committee to-
day. The committee also voted to ap
prove bill for the licensing Of chiro-
practors and a measure providing for
the registration of milk bottles.
Toward the close Of the meeting
Representative Rathbone Of Illinois
moved to take up the bill establish
ing On organic law for the women's
bureau Of the Police Department and
provide definitely for an increase OF
personnel OF policewomen. but after
80 minutes Of consideration the COM
mittee adjourned without completing
action on this bill.
The new utilities bill, which was
submitted by Representative Zihlman,
chairman, creates a commission or
three members appointed by the Pres
ident for three-year terms at q salary
OF $500 a year and provides also for
peoples counsel at the same salary.
Only Slight Change.
The only change made by the com
mittee from the draft submitted by
Mr.. Zihlman was to strike out the
last section, which consisted merely
OF declaration Of policy by Congress
that the newly created commission
should make such recommendations as
seem appropriate and advisable with
q view to securing improved service
and lower rates. This Same section
expressed the desire Of Congress that
school children be given half fare on
street cars.
There was some discussion as to
whether this bill would solve the prob
lem of public utility supervision in the
District, resulting from a suggestion
from Representative Gilbert OF Ken
lucky, that the proposed bill seemed
to him to be simply passing the buck
to somebody else to unravel a knotty
problem that we have not been able to
do anything with"
Representative Zihlman replied that
It had been agreed by all with whom
he had talked that this bill would be
q helpful step forward in view of the
position taken by the District Com
that they do not have suf-
fcient time TO function as a public
utilities commission and that they are
without ample funds to carry on the
work properly.
Car Merger Proposition.
Representative Keller Of Minnesota
told OF work he performed several
years ago in studying the public util-
a -. fol
clusion that, with regard 20 the street
railway situation, the only solution is
q consolidation. Mr.. Keller said the
only way Congress could bring about
a consolidation would be to buy the
and, II 1t did not want to
engage In Government operation II
could lease them. He added, how
ever, that he was willing to do any
thing that would give the people here
some relief.
After the last section OF the bill had
been stricken out, Representative
Reid of Illinois offered q separate
amendment to cover the suggestion
that school children be given half fare.
This led to considerable discussion as
to whether the commission does not
already have authority TO grant such
q special rate.
William Mex. Clayton Of the Fed
Grafton OF Citizens Association told
the committee, in answer TO ques-
ton, that he had several times taken
I'D the question OF half fare for school
children, and that the commission had
concluded 1t did not have sufficient
police power to grant such q rate.
Reduction in Revenues.
Several members Of the committee
incurred IL the general rate Of fare
would have to be increased to make
nm for giving the school children q spe-
cial fare.
Mr.. Zihlman said he had been told
that half fare for school children
would mean q reduction OF between
$1,000 and $4,000 year IN the gross
collection from fares. Mr.. Reid then
withdrew his amendment relating to
school children.
The Senate District committee also
has had under consideration this Ques-
tton of reorganizing the Public IT'LL
ties Commission. but Chairman Cap
per has been waiting to see what plan
the House committee would recon-
mend.
Favorable report on the chiroprac-
tor and milk bottle bills were adopted
on motion Of Representative Mcleod
Of Michigan Of the judiciary subcom-
mittee.
Several members Of the committee
endeavored to have the policewom-
ans bill completed today in order that
it might be ready for presentation to
the House on Monday. If that day is
allowed for District legislation, but
an adjournment was taken shortly
after IL O'Clock without finishing this
measure. Several efforts were made
to agree on q time before Monday
when the committee could meet
again, but without result.