Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
Survey Ordered to Determine
Advantages of Rerouting
All Car Lines.
AUTHORITY OF BOARD
UNDER LAW DEFINED
Railway Company's Reply Awaited
Before Further Merger
Action,

the nrsC defin1te move OF the Public
Utilities Commission to carry out its
threat to bring about q unified opera
tion of the street car and motor bus
lines IL the companies refuse to renew
negotiations for q voluntary merger
was made yesterday when a formal or
der was drawn directing the commits
sion engineers to begin at once an ex-
haustive investigation to determine the
economies that would result from q
general rerouting.
Plans for the survey were announced
early last week, but steps to carry them
out were not taken by the engineers
pending the receipt of the formal or
der. Members of the commission,
however, devoted considerable time
throughout the week to q study Of ex-
isting rail and bus routes as graphic
prints In an effort to decide which
lines should be rerouted and where the
changes should be made.
No reason was given at the commits
sion for the delay in framing the order
for the survey, for 1t was Monday when
the announcement was made that 1t
had decided to take such action. In
the meantime, however. the commits
Sion sent to the Capital Traction Co.
letter taking issue with the reasons
it gave for declining to reopen merger
negotiations.
To Cover Whole Field.
Aside from the economies that can
be effected through q general rerout-
ing. the investigation Is designed to
take into consideration the fares
charged. the service rendered. the oper-
ating expenses. the transfer arrange
ments and the transfer charges. In
other words. the commission wants its
engineer to procure all available In
formation relating to street car and
bus operations.
II the work shows any indication OF
rushing the engineering stan to greatly,
there is . likelihood, II was said, that
outside engineers may be employed
temporarily TO assist. The salaries OF
such additional engineers. 1t was
pointed out. could be assessed against
the transit COMPANIES under an amend
ment TO the public utilities act which
provides that the expenses Of any in
vestigation made by the commission
shall be borne by the public utility In
vestigated. In this case all OF the
transportation utilities are involved.
Since the commissions threat to re-
route the car and bus lines, Its au-
thority to do so has been questioned
In several quarters, because any change
that would bring about unified opera:
ton would necesSitate the joint use OF
tracks. At the commission, 1t was
pointed out, section three Of the act
creating the commission vests in 1t
the authority to carry out any rerout-
ing scheme that may be decided upon.
It reads as follows:
Text Of Act.
THAT every public utility doing busi-
ness in the District of Columbia having
tracks, conduits, subways, poles, wires,
switchboards, exchanges, works. or other
equipment shall, for q reasonable COM
pensation, permit the use Of the same
by any other public utility whenever
public convenience and necessity re-
quire such use, and such use Will not
result in irreparable injury to the
owners or other users Of such equip
ment; nor In any substantial detriment
to the service to be rendered by such
owners or other users. In case OF
failure to agree upon such use, or the
conditions or compensation for such
use. any public utility or any person.
firm, co-partnerShip, association, or
corporation interested may apply to
the commission, and II after tnvestiga-
ton the commission shall ascertain
that public convenience and necessity
require such use and that 1t would not
result in irreparable injury to the
owners or other users of such equip
ment nor In any substantial detriment
to the service to be rendered by such
owners or other users OF such equip
ment, 1t shall, by order, direct that such
use be permitted and prescribe the con-
ditionS and compensation for such joint
use. Such use SO ordered shall be per-
mitted and such conditions and COM
pensations so prescribed shall be the
lawful conditions and compensation 10
be observed, followed and paid, subject
to recourse to the courts upon the COM
plant of any interested party, as here
matter provided, which provisions, so
far rs applicable. shall apply to any
action arising on such. complaint so
made. Any such order OF the commits
sion may be from time to time revised
by the commission upon application OF
any interested party or upon its own
motion after hearing and notice by
order in writing"
Further developments in the merger
situation, it was indicated, await the
reply Of the Washington Railway L.
Electric Co. to the commissions in.
vitatioYi to renew the unihcation agree
ment which expired June /. The
company's answer Is expected after
meeting Of its board OF directors, We'd
nesday. The commission, however,
anticipates q reply similar to that re-
ceived from the Capital Traction Co..
which said that q resumption Of nego-
tiations pending disposition Of the
agreement by Congress would be
futile"