Evening star., 1930-12-08
ON TRAFFIC
BILL IS TAKEN UP
BY D. C. OFFICIALS
Commissioners and Public
Utilities Body to Seek Ac-
cord on Measure.
FORMER SEEK POWER
OVER COMMON CARRIERS
Issue Also Raised on Proposed
Joint Board on Jurisdic-
tional Questions.

The District Commissioners and the
Public Utilities Commission have bsen
at loggerheadS over the proposal con-
tanned in the Commissioners traffic bill
70 take power away from the Public
Utilities Commission over routing and
equipment OF common carriers and
lodge it in the hands Of the District
Commissioners.
News of the dispute leaked out today
for the first time with the announce
ment that joint meeting of the two
commissions would be held at 2 o'clock
in an effort to iron the differences.
The Commissioners sent up their
traf1c bill to Congress last Monday. The
bill was put together in a hurry in
order to be introduced at the opening
day of the session. Through an error
no copy was sent to the Public Utilities
Commission for comment and the men,
bers of the latter commission were not
apprised of the introduction of the bill
until they read about it in the papers.
They first saw a copy of the bill on
Wednesday. Gen. Mason M. Patrick
and Harligh H. Hartman of the Public
Utilities Commission decided that they
could not support the bill In the form
in which it stood.
Provisions Of Bill.
It'provided, among other things, that
the Commissioners should have power
to regulate the equipment and routing
Of common carriers, powers which the
Utilities Commission claims now reside
in it. Another strong objection was to
the joint board proposed to be set up.
This was to consist of the board of
District Commissioners and the Public
Utilities Commission sitting together,
with the Engineer Commissioner as
at1of ofY-V.a vfa IN i1,Vsi
diction between the two bodies should
arise, 1t would be referred to the joint
board, and that boards decision would
be final. This would give the Engineer
Commissioner who is a member of both
bodies, the deciding vote in all contests.
Gen. Patrick said today that he would
have no objection to setting up the
joint board, provided that the legisla-
tion is amended so as to take away from
the District Commissioners the power
to regulate the equipment and routing
of common carriers. He pointed out
that such power was intended to be
lodged in the Utilities Commission. In
setting UP route for a bus line, for
instance, the return to be earned from
the lines under operation depended al
most entirely on the route established
Since the commission has Jurisdiction
over the carriers rate of return, it ought
to have the accompanying jurisdiction
over the routing, 1t is contended. Gen.
Patrick said that If this amendment
were made there probably would be no
disputed points left for the joint board
to determine. and consequently that he
would have no objection to the setting
up Of the joint board.
Hartman Stand Stated.
Mr.. Hartman, however, opposes the
joint board In principle, he said.
Engineer Commissioner John C. Got
walls favors the bill as drawn and said
today that he would vote for it as 1t
stood. The other two civilian Commits
sioner were attending a hearing of the
Mapes committee and could not be
reached.
It Is a matter Of conflicting legal
opinion right now which body has pow
er over taxicabs, routing of interstate
buses and many other points. One
such matter is now before the Court Of
Appeals. 1t involves the right of the
Utilities Commission to specify the
routes which shall be followed by in
terstate buses in the District. A de-
cision is expected next month.
Gen. Patrick said that he expected
the two bodies to come to an agree
ment this afternoon without any diff
Guilty.