Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-05
TRACTION MERGER
IS HELD SOLUTION
vandenberg Sees Unified
System as Best Method of
Handling Problem.
Continued From First Page.)

lion Co., IL was mmSJeTlal WHICH DuS
the passengers rode on.
Chairman Patrick called Mr. Merrill'S
attention To the words in an order COM
polling the company to keep separate
accounts as to their own passengers
south of Kennedy street and to those
transported as agents for the Capital
Traction Co., north of Kennedy street.
Mr.. Merrill and his attorney, George
P. Hoover, contended that this order
had been modified by later order.
The commissions position on the mat
ter was not made clear.
Clayton to Quiz Merrill.
Dissemination of Mr.. Merrill by
William NICK. Clayton, counsel for the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
will begin at the afternoon session.
Merrill Presents Letters.
At the opening of the hearing this
morning E. D. Merrill, president of the
Washington Rapid Transit Co., offered
in evidence copies of orders OF the
commission, letters between the COM
pany and the commission and between
the bus company and the Capital Trac-
ton Co. and the bus company's con.
tract with the Capital Traction>eo, all
relating to the operation OF buses
within the District and in interstate
traf1ic across the Maryland line.
Chairman Patrick asked Mr.. Merrill
where his company got authority 10
pick up local passengers In the DIS
trict in its interstate buSSes.
From the right which We have to
operate interstate buSses and interstate
buses through the same territory,
interposed George p. Hoover, counsel
for the bus company.
Chairman Patrick called attention to-
an order OF the compassion declaring
that the interstate buSseS should not
take up passengers in the District, but
Mr.. Merrill commended that that was
modified by another order OF the COM
mission dated March IL, 1925, permit
ting the operation Of local and inter-
state BUSES over the same routes.
Patrick and Hoover Clash.
When Chairman Patrick still ques-
toned the authority of the Washington
Rapid Transit Co. to use its interstate
buses for local passenger service In the
District, Mr. Hoover said, Does the
commission contend that We must OPP
crate separate busses for interstate and
local pasSengers?"
THE commission is offering no opin-
ion on that subject now. but asks Tor
all the evidence you have on II" SAID
the chairman. Attention was called
by Chairman Patrick to provision IN
one order of the commission requiring
that the financial affairs of interstate
and local be kept separate.
DO you do that?" asked Chairman
Patrick.
"No that order has been modified"
replied Mr.. Merrill.
Correspondence between his company,
the commission and the Capital Trac-
ton Co. was read into the record by
Mr.. Merrill. This related to an altera-
ton in the agreement between the bus
company and the Capital Traction co.
so as not to require passengers to trans
fer from local to through buses at
Fourteenth and Kennedy streets. and !
also to a request of the bus company |
to be relieved of the requirement |
to keep separate accounts OF the |
operation of its BUSES north and south |
Of Kennedy street and a separate ac- !
counting of its through bus service. !
Mr.. Merrill commended that the COR
respondence shaEed that the commits
sion heretofore had approved of the |
bus company'S request in these respects. |
Gives Company's Position.
After his correspondence had been
read, Mr.. Hoover said that the COM
pany's position was that since 1t had
the right to operate both interstate and
interstate traftc along the routes In
question, that they undoubtedly had the
authority to use the same equipment for
both classes of trafic and pick up in
trastate passengers in interstate buses.
Gen. Patrick advised him to reserve
his argument until the close of the case. |
THAT is not argument" Mr.. Hoover
said, that is a statement OF fact"
Mr.. Hoover then asked Mr.. Merrill |
what authority the company had 10 !
operate express or limited stop buses |
from Thirteenth and K streets to Grant |
and Sherman Circles. Mr.. Merrill read
a letter from the company to the COM
mission, dated September Is, 1927, seek |
ing the permission in question and a
letter from the commission to the COM
pany. dated September %, 1927, grant
ing the permission. The grant was
conditioned on the company not pick
ing UP any passengers on routes other
than those previously authorized.
Gen. Patrick then asked If the COM
pany now followed precisely the routes
outlined in the commissions letter. Mr..
Merrill replied that as far as he knew
that was done: with the possible ex-
ception of q few minor changes au-
thorized In conference with the COM
mission. Gen. Patrick asked him to
check-up and discover If there were
any differences at all In the routtngS
now used and those authorized in the
letter, and Mr.. Merrill said he would do
so at later time.
Contend Authority Unneeded.
Mr.. Merrill and Mr.. Hoover contend
ed that the company did not need any
SPECIFIC authority from the commission
to run its buses dead head" or with
out passengers back to starting points
over other than the regular routes. This
practice, Mr.. Merrill explained, saved
money to the company and enabled 1t
to get in extra trips in the rush hours
he
improving the service to the public.
Questions were asked by Chairman
Patrick and Commissioner Hartman in
dicating an opinion that the running
Of buses without passengers back to
starting points is part of the regular
carrier service of a company.
"Busses operated without passengers
in this way are not operated as COM
mon carriers declared Mr.. Hoover.
"Since these buses have regular auto
mobile licenses and are not common
carriers, we contend that they can use
any street they please in the District"
Hartman Opens Fire.
Commissioner Hartman then entered
upon q series of complicated questions
relating to the value of the bus COM
objected, claiming that this is not
valuation proceeding" but Chairman
Patrick overruled the objection.
Answering several questions about the
type of buses operated by the COM
pany, Mr.. Merrill said that the double
deck buses were used in the rush hours,
also on days when the weather was
comfortable for riding on the top deck"
and for special service to the Lincoln
Memorial. If the double deck buses
become more popular, Mr.. Merrill said.
the company will purchase more Of
them. He said that at present three Of
the double-deck type were being re-