Evening star., 1926-05-14
hUO0lPH'S HARDWARE
DEALINGS SCORED IN
COMMITTEE HEARING

Continued From Page Nineteenl
hardware to the District and the ee.
port submitted last night do not
agree.
Mr. Blanton then questioned the
Engineer Commissioner regarding
monopolies in tho public streets sold
by hotel companies to taXicahs aud
sights seeing husses. linking up the
ownerahip Of these hotels with fellow
directors of Mr.. Rudolph in the bank
Ing business. Col. Bell admitted
knowing about the hotels selling
rights in the public streets Mr.,
Blanton asked why. in view Of Judge
McMahon's recent decision. the ADis-
trict commissioners do not enforce
the law and tell the hotels they can't
do it. He insisted that the depart
ment stores are NOT allowed to sell
parking privileges in the streets.
You could stop that in five minutes.
said Mr.. Blanton. "All YOU would
have to do is TO tell the policemen to
keep those taXis moving. Mr.. Gibson
asked who is attorney for the taXicah
companies. and Mr.. Blanton mention
cd Edward r. Colladay as having ap-
pCared as general attorney for the
Hotel Mems Association. with the
'SNttdb pStple appearing Will nlilt.
In reply TO another question from Mr..
Gibson. Mr.. Colladay's and Mr..
Rudolph's close association with other
directors in the same hank interested
In the hotel property was again
empha sized.
Mr. Blanton went into length"
discussion with Col. Bell in regard To
Public Utilities Commission duties.
stating that from 1914 to 1919 this
commission had allowed the street
railway fare to continue at ) cent?,
and that in 1919 the fare had heen in
crea sed. Mr.. Ella nton asked: "Couldn'.
YOU and Mr.. Rudolph annul your
order permitting that increase ard
making the street railways carry pas
sengerS for a scent fare. allowing ls
IN fight it out in Court?" He protested
that there are sc. 900 school children
paving cents who should pay only
scent fare.
Carrying Out Law
Col. Eell told Mr.. Blanton that the
Public Utilities Commission has been
carving out the law as passed by
Congress. He called attention that the
Potomac Electric Power case, invoiv
ing $4,000. 900. was tied up in court for
seven wears. and then the commission
could get only one half the amount ,r
the people When Mr.. Blanton Sid
that if he had an attorney who kept
2 case in court for seven years he
would fire him. Cot Bell counte~ed
with the reminder that he has h~en
trying for years to get Congress to al
low a reople's counsel for the Public
Utilities Commission. and that With
only 81 900 allowed for attorneys fee
il is impossible To combat legal talent
costing hundreds of thousa nds OF dol
lars. employed by the public utilities
corporations. Col Bell stated that the
Public Utilities Commission should be
provided with additional legal help
and with an expert in accounting. He
stressed that when there is a ase like
the Potomac Electric Power Co. case,
involving $4,000, 900, it isn't good busi'
ness to try to save few dollars on
attorneys fees.
Chairman Gibson agreed that Con-
gress should give the Public Utilities
commission attorneys fees, so that
it would be able to meet the high
priced legal talent employed by the
corporations on equal grounds. ~
This point Mr.. Blanton suggested that
If we could get a president of the
Poard of Commissioners who was not
interested In selling hardware sup
plies and in the Linking business