Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-19
Disagreement Shown.

1t was also shown that the Public
Utilities Commission and the courts
are in serious disagreement on what
should enter into the fair valuation of
public utilities on which a fair rate OF
return would be calculated as basis
for fixing street car fares and other
service charges.
The point was raised again todav
that the Public Utilities Commission
as now constituted, being the same
as the District Commissioners. il
not able and has not been able 10
properly represent the poole in deal
ing with the public utilities in the
National Capital
At the opening Of the hearing 10
day Chairman Zihlnan pat into the
record two bills introduced by
Representative Hammer. Democrat.
of North Carolina, TO repeal the pub
lie utilities act. Representative
Blanton protested that the committee
/ has before il question affecting
street railway fares, While the Blau-
ton bin would omen up the entire
subject affecting all public utilities
! in the District. He said ne believed
Congress at this session should take
action affecting all the public uti1i-
ties, hut that he believed the commit
! tee could be most effective by deal
ing with one at time. lie an
nOunced that he is now making
studies of the gas, electric light ana
Telephone service
Representative Reid. Republican,
of Illinois declared Mr.. BlantOn's bill
could bring relief 10 the public only
through some such general measure
relieving the Public Utilities Commits
sion of the duty of fixing the street
car fare, based on Il reasonable return
on fair valuation OF the street rail
way properties.
Merger Progress Slow.
Mr.. Zihlman asked Lieut. Col J
Franklin Bell, the Engineer Commits
sioner. regarding the progress made
toward a merger after passage of the
permissive legislation. Col Bell re
oiled that the Public Utilities Com
mission had volunteered to assist the
two street railway companies in any
way, and about the time Congress was
about to assemble had asked the com
panies, individually. what progress
had been made and the replies which
have been placed before the District
committee, show that there has been
little progress toward Il consolidation
Col. Bell then explained about the
traction survey made by the North
American Co, which holds u consider
able amount of stock in both of the
street railway companies. This sur
vey was made with the approval OF
the Public Utilities Commission and
With assistance from agents Of the
commission in order that the engi
neers employed by the North Amer
can Co. might secure publicity and
authority which would aid them in
getting information they sought from
business men and others in the Ma
tional Capital. it was stated.
BIanton Protests Course.
Mr.. Blanton protested that the usual
order had been reversed IN allowing
the defense" TO he presented first in
stead of allowing him to make p
prima facie case before the commit
tee He served notice that he wanted
time II "CroSS-eXamine" each witness.
Mr.. Reid then insisted that in order
TO have a fair presentation Of Nh
BlantonS bill he should he allowed To
act as prosecutor and present the best
case he could. Mr.. Blanton urged
that this motion should not he car
ried, but on Mr.. Reid's iusistence IL
was carried unanimously.
Mr.. BIanton then proceeded TO cross
examine Col. Bell. and the first telling
point he made was 10 put III evidence
copies of the transportation survey,
which clearly stated AT the top of
each page that it was a Public IT'LL
tiles Commission 1925 transportation
survey, Mcclellan & Junkersfeld, Inc,
Engineers
Mr.. Blanton stated that he had writ
ten to the officers Of the North Ameri-
can Co, asking 4 series of questions
as a member of the House District
committee. and similarly to the firra
who made the survey, and that both
refused TO answer his questions.
He questioned, do you think that
representatives Of a foreign corpora
ton would come into the District of
Columbia and spend $4,000 in max
ing transportation survey that
would bring out facts helpful to the
people of the District"
Col. Bell replied this corporation
represented n large investment i'll
District property, he had every rea-
son 10 suppose that the transporta-
ton survey was a preliminary step to-
ward a voluntary merger, and that
he could not properly refuse them
the assistance of the Public Utilities
Commission. The transportation sur
vey, he said, had cost the Public
Utilities Commission not one dollar.
Anticipated Objections.
In reply to questions, Col. Bell said
that he thought it perfectly right for
the commission to give its O. X. to
the survey, but that he was unwilling
to accept as gospel whatever the en-
gineers might report. He said the
Public Utilities Commission antici-
pated the objections which Mr.. Blan-
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