Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-16
Long Cross-Examination of
Hanna Practically Ends
His Company's Case.
w. R. & E. PETITION
MAY BE TAKEN UP TODAY
Decision Reserved on Bus Lines
Objection to Being Made Party
to Fare Hearing.

William Mckay Clayton, counsel for
the Federation of Citizens Associations,
today conducted long cross examina-
ton of John H. Hanna, president of the
Capital Traction Co., which practical
" wound up that company's part of the
case before the Public Utilities Commits
sion on the request for an increase in
carfare. The case of the Washington
Railway & Electric Co. also a petitioner
for an increased carfare is expected to
start late this Afternoon or early Mon
day.
During the crosS-examination Mr..
Hanna accused Mr.. Clayton of being re-
SponSible for preventing merger of the
street car companies. Mr.. Clayton start
ed to reply to the accusation, but Com
missioner Harleigh H. Hartman ordered
Mr.. Hannas remarks and the question
which had brought them out stricken
from the record.
During the croSS-eXaminatlon Mr..
Clayton also developed the fact that the
Capital Traction Co. intends to ask for
an increase in fare on its Maryland
operations.
The matter of half fares for school
children came back into the hearing
and in reply to further questions by
Mr.. Clayton Mr.. Hanna said that the
company would not voluntarily put half
fares en- school children into effect,
preferring to leave this to the commits
sion. He said he did not think the
introduction Of half fares would Sc
riously affect the company'S revenue.
The commission took under advise
ment an objection filed in writing by
Attorney George P. Hoover to the COM
missions order making the Washington
Rapid Transit Co. a party to the pres
ent case.
Bus officials at Hearing.
E. D. Merrill. president of the Wash
ington Rapid Transit Co., and George p.
Hoover, counsel for the company. were
present when the hearing opened this
morning to present the formal objec-
ton in written form to the commissions
order making the Washington Rapid
Transit Co. party to the present street
car fare case.
Mr.. Hoover read the objections, which
were listed under IL headings.
The commissions order, Mr.. Hoover
contended, does not give the Washing
ton Rapid Transit Co. 10 days notice
of the formal hearing as required by
law. nor was the order served on the
company 10 days prior to the hearing.
He denied the Jurisdiction of the COM
mission and its authority to draw the
Washington Rapid Transit Co. into the
present case.
Referring to the original motion of
William NICK. Clayton. representing
the Federation of Citizens Associations,
that this company be made party to
the case, Mr.. Hoover said that Mr..
Clayton had set forth no facts which
would confer jurisdiction on the COM
mission in this situation. He contended
that there is no cc@Sclaint before the
commission respecting the rates, tolls,
charges, schedules or services Of said
company legally sufficient to confer
jurisdiction upon the commission"
The questions before the commission
Capital Traction and Washington Rail-
way g. Electric Cos. are entirely
foreign to the operations of the bus
line, Mr.. Hoover insisted.
Right to Probe Value Denied.
The bus company's attorney partic-
ularly denied the authority of the COM
mission to investigate the value of the
companys property, especially since the
commission did not give the company
80 days notice in advance.
Summing up the pleading of the bus
company, Mr. Hoover declared: THE
Public Utilities Commission is with
out jurisdiction to enter order No. 767
granting the motion of the Federation
of Citizens Associations and making
the Washington Rapid Transit Co. a
party to formal case No. 205 because,
as appears by the record in said formal
case, the object and purpose of said
motion is to have the Public Utilities
Commission, without warrant in law,
conduct an investigation respecting the
fair value of the property of the Wash
ington Rapid Transit Co., used and
useful for the convenience of the public
in said formal case No. 205."
Vice Chairman Hartman said that
in the absence of Gen. Patrick and Col
Ladue, the otner two members of the
commission, the objections of the bus
company would be taken under advise
ment and ruling made later. Mean
time, Mr.. Hartman explained, no testi-
mony would be taken relating to the
bus company and testimony already
taken would notfbe held binding upon
that company, unless reoffered in evi-
dence, in case the commissions order
was allowed to stand.
Mr.. Clayton then began a searching
of Mr.. Hanna. He
first asked whether the Capital Traction
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