Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-23
CH|LDRESS' TRIP
TO INSPECT BUS
|. TERMINALS HALTED
DonoVan'S Ruling Prevents
Utilities Officials Making
Tour of Cities.
CHAIRMAN EXPRESSES
HIS DISAPPOINTMENT
Will Call Operators of Lines En-
tering Capital to Get Ideas
for Terminal.

1ne motor puS terminal inspection
planned by John w. Childress, chair
man of the Public Utilities Commission,
and Earl v. Fisher, its executive secre-
tary, was suddenly Cancelled today as a
result of a ruling by Maj. Daniel j.
Donovan, District auditor and budget
officer, which forbids the use of Dis
trict funds for the proposed investiga-
ton.
Mr.. Childress announced the cancel
lation of the trip with keen disappoint-
ment, and pointed out that it meant a
serious setback to the movement for
the establishment of union terminal
in Washington for the motor buses en-
gagged in interstate transportation.
Il had looked upon the trip as one
OF utmost importance to Washington"
declared Mr.. ChildreSs. 1.-THE campaign
for bus terminal here actually seemed
to be gaining impetus, and that its erec-
ton was only a question of finding a
suitable location that would meet the
approval of the operators of the bus
lines. Several offers have been made
TO finance the building.
Planned for Information.
"The inspection trip was planned as
means of procuring first-hand infor-
nation as to how successful bus terminals
IN other cities have been financed. how
they are regulated and the various
features of their construction. The
commission cannot get all the inforna-
ton 1t wants by writing, of that 1 am
conndent. The ruling Of the auditor
is very disappointing.
The utilities commission asked the
District Commissioners to augment
Its nearly depleted appropriation for
travelling and incidental expenses. with
several hundred dollars from a similar
appropriation for the municipal gov
eminent, in order that the trip might
be made before the beginning of the
new fiscal year. The commission has
S24O remaining in its appropriation.
but portion of it must be retained for
small incidental items and emergency
expenses. The balance in the appro-
priation of the District government
for incidental and travelling expenses is
about 1900.
The request was readily approved by
the Commissioners several weeks ago,
and Mr.. Childress and Mr.. Fisher pro-
ceeded with plans for the trip, mapping
cut an itinerary and finishing work at
the commission to permit their absence
for week or 10 days. But when the
order of the Commissioners reached the
auditor, he issued a 200-word opinion,
which, in substance. held that the Com
niSsioners were without legal authority
to transfer District appropriations to
the utilities commission.
Surprised by Ruling.
l. Surprised by Maj Donovan's ruling,
Chairman Childress called on the COM
missions general counsel, William w.
Bride, corporation counsel of the Dis
trict, for an informal opinion on the
same question. Informally, Mr.. Bride
advised the commission that he was
constrained to agree" with the audi
tors decision.
THE Public Utilities Commission,
through its executive secretary" said
Maj. Donovans opinion. requests the
CommisSionerssto authorize the expend-
ture OF the amount necessary to cover
certain travelling expenses of the chair
man of the commission and the execu-
tive secretary to inspect bus terminals
operated IN various cities. The commits
SION requests that an allotment be made
for this purpose from the $4,000 (appro-
priated 81 900 each to the Commission
erS OF the District of Columbia) author
lied by the District appropriation act
for the fiscal year, 1929 under the ap-
preparation act for the fiscal year, 1929
under the appropriation for ganeral
contingent expenses of District offices.
In the opinion of the auditor this
appropriation is not available for the
purpose requested by the Public Utilities
Commission. Paragraph 95 of the act
creating the commission provides in
part as follows:
The commission is hereby author
lied to incur and pay incidental ex-
penSes for travelling ex-
penses of the commission, the commits
sioners and every officer, agent and
employe thereof, and all other general
expenses reasonably necessary to be in
CURED in carrying out the purposes Of
this section
Will Cali Conference.
'The District of Columbia appropria-
ton act for the fiscal year 1929 pro-
vides, under the head of Public Utilities
Commission, as follows:
For incidental and all other general
and necessary expenses authorized by
law. $4,000
1.-The only appropriation available for
the payment of travelling expenses of
members and employees of the Public
Utilities Commission is that last quoted
above. However, the Commissioners
must, by formal order, approve the pro-
posed travel under and in accordance
with the standard Government travel
regulations, as amended effective March
], 1929"
Mr.. Childress and Mr. Fisher had
planned to inspect bus terminals in
Nashville, Columbus, Indianapolis. De-
troit, Buffalo and several other cities.
With the trip Cancelled the commits
sion chairman said his next move would
be to call q conference of motor bus
operators to ascertain their views on
the plans for a union terminal.