Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-31
CITIZENS COUNCIL
ENDORSES MERGER
Senate Subcommittee Report
Approved After Hot Fight
at Session.

A warm debate in the Citizens ADJ
visory Council, lasting an hour and 10
minutes, resulted IN the adoption of a
resolution indorsing the tentative report
on the street car merger, made by the
subcommittee of the Senate District
committee. The text Of the resolution, as
adopted, follows:
After carefully considering the pro-
visions of the proposed plan for merger
ing the transportation lines of the Dis
trict of Columbia, as set forth in ten
committee to the fun Senate committee
on the District of Columbia, the Cit
liens Advisory Council places itself on
record as approving and Endorsing the
tentative plans In substance, and re-
specially petitions our national law
makers to enact merger legislation be-
fore final adjournment of the SEVENTEEN
Congress"
Roberts Views Given.
AS originally offered by Charles I.
Stengel of Petworth, the resolution sp-
proved the subcommittee report as be
lieving that the suggestions therein
contained are the very best that can be
obtained If we are actually to accom-
plish a merger of the aforesaid trans
nortation lines at this time" His reso.
luton was followed by another, intro
duced by William A. Roberts, Conduit
road, which expressed approval of the
work of the subcommittee, but called
attention to several alleged short com-
ings in the report The Roberts reso-
luton pointed out that there was no
clause limiting the life of the charter to
be given the new merged company; that
no provision was made for carrying for
ward to the treasury of the merged
concern the 100000 in depreciation
reserves set up by the merging railways;
that the Blaine amendment" calling
for future revaluations to be made on
the so-called prudent investment the
DRY was not included in the report.
Mr.. Roberts then argued that by ap-
proving the subcommittee report, the
council was In effect sanctioning tax
ing away $7000,0000 (the depreciation
reserve) from the car riders in five
years. No future legislation could bring
this back, he said. He called the pru-
dent investment theory of valuing a
public utility "the only sane method In
existence" and said that according to
the subcommittee language the Public
Utilities Commission would be tied
down to the present reproduction theory,
with its consequent high values, in re-
valuing theF rail properties after the
merger.
Gammell Proposes Compromise.
Joseph L. Gammen, Lincoln Park,
,endeavored to effect combination of
the Roberts and Stengel resolutions, re-
tanning the best features of each. The
movers, however, each declared that
while he was willing to sacrifice a few
lines Of language In his report, any
mixture of the two was impossible.
George r. Wales, Cathedral Heights:
Thomas e. Lodge, American University
Park; DR.. George Richardson Of the
Civic Federation, and Chairman George
G. Hayenner all spoke in favor OF the
Stengel resolution, and w. H. Lewis,
to amend 1t by striking out the refer
ence to the report being the very
best" available. Mr.. Roberts then de-
clared he would vote for the Stengel
resolution il this were done. Mr.. STEM
gel accepted the amendment and the
resolution was adopted unanimously.
On motion of Mr.. Gammell, and with
out discussion, the council approved
the Community Chest drive. The coun-
Gil voted its opposition to wording in
the District appropriations bill as pre-
pared by the House appropriations COM
mittee restricting the eligible list of
teaching positions open to graduates of
Washington normal schools to those
graduates in the first IS per cent of
their respective classes.
The council ordered a letter of con-
graduation sent to the Bureau of Eff
ficiency on its report on the question
Of fiscal relations between the District
and Federal Governments, and another
to Senator Hiram Bingham, Connecti-
cut, for his interest in the subject. MFR.
Bingham recently stated that his studies
Of the report had convinced him that
the Federal Governments $1,000 900
lump sum contribution should be in
creased to at least IS, SOC, 900.