Evening star., 1926-01-24
Summarizes Efforts

Mai. tovelI summarized efforts
made To bring about a merger. as
follows:
First col. Ren soon after he came
into office here as Engineer Commits
. sioner. prepared merge, hill 10
force the street car companies to g n
Soidate by increa s.uc axes if they
did not merge within a certain tine.
This legislation vas not passed by
Congress.
Second. Last year toward the
close Of Congress. after meeting with
the Joint committee Of the House and
Senate AT which Mai. Covell tried TO
empha size that a merger would not
mean Il lower csrfare. a bill was
drawn by the corporation counsel and
passed by Congress making II legal
for the two street railway Compan MES
to merge.
Third In April the vice president
of the North American Company and
the vice president of the board of en-
gineers employed by them. with a rep
IeSentstiye of Crane Parish & Co.
Eugene Thompson an engineer. con
ferred with Col. Bell and Mai. CoVell
and later with the Public Utilities
Commission regarding a transporta-
tion survey. They said that as large
stockholders were undecided as TO
whether they desired TO merge they
would like the cooperation of the
Public Utilities Commission because
they felt they could get better results
in making the survey. Mai. CoVell
aid he believed that was a first stem
toward voluntary merger. as he felt
sure the facts would show that II
was good thing not only for the
community. but for the compa nies 10
merge. and he believed that the survey
brought out facts, which do not show
this
Fourth. He has become convinced
mat merger was a proper solution
and did everything he could to bring
the companies together.
Fifth. Before Congress assembled the
Public Utilities Commission sent let
ters to the street railway officials
asking what progress they were
making toward the merger the re-
plles showed little or no progress nr
Inclination to merge and these re-
pies were transmitted To Congress.
Mr. Reid asked Maj. CoveH what
ne was doing about it now and he
repiieu There is nothing | can do"
lie said that the Public Utilities
Commission is looking for some in
dlca ton from Congress what it wants
uohe since Congress never has in
structed the Public Utilities Com
mission 10 force the merger.
In reply to questions from Mr..
feid, Chairman Zihimsn n recalled that
Senator Ball in his report on the
permissive legislation. stated that il
was the purpose 10 remove the ex-
cuse of the companies that they
were prohlblted by law from merging
ana that If they did not merge volun-
tarilr Congress would take further
action.
Az result of discussions before
'he subcommittee, Mai. Coveu stated
lhat II congress makes IL plain that
II wants the Public Utilities Commits
sion to go further toward forcing q
merger he thinks somethine can he
done, but that the commission canpot
ACT on the wish of any individual
membef OF Congress. citing. for ex
ample, that Representative Rlan,on
Democrat. OF Texas, wants the com.
mission 10 impose scent car fare.
1t was at that point that MIR. Reid
made his motion. which is stil, mend.
ING. which would direct the Public
UTILITIES Commission to do everything
in Its power for merger for better
service and with a view to lower car
fare.
Hanna Asks Hearing.
Mr.. Hanna then asked that the
ofhclals Of the street railway he
allowed to present some matters con.
cerr1ing which the subcommittee has
not been fully advised before action
is taken.
Representative Hammer. Democrat.
of North Carolina. INDUCED in a
lengthy argument with Maj. Covell
regarding the language of the utility
reaching A decision on a fair valua-
tton, conceTninA which Naj, Coyell