Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-30
.USURP|NG POWER
|. LAID TO UTILITIES
GROUP BY BUREAU
Commission Has Taken Over
Traffic Directors Duties,
Report Asserts.
TAXI STANDS AND BUS
PERMITS ARE CITED
Efficiency Experts Declare Act of
1925 Put All Matters Under
One Individual.

The Public Utilities Commission has
in many cases usurped the functions
of the director of traffic and the Dis
trict Commissioners with respect to
regulating traffic, according to re-
port filed yesterday with the District
Commissioners by the Bureau of Eff
cheney. The Utilities Commission has
taken upon itself authority not given
it by law, particularly in the case OF
interstate buses, intracity BUSES, sight
seeing buses, special BUSES, theil
routes, stops and parking places, it Is
pointed out The District Commission
ers themselves are charged in part
of the report with usurping the au-
thority of the director of traffic, who
is found by the bureau to have absolute
control of all traffic in town.
The Commissioners, according to the
report, established taxi stands in their
own names, and the name of the di-
rector of traffic does not appear in the
order. This sis in direct violation OF
the intention of Congress in passing
the traffic act of 1925. Manifestly
Congress intended to put all matters
specifically mentioned, and all matters
generally relating to the control of
traffic. under the authority Of one in
dividual, who would be responsible for
traffic conditions in this District. This
would insure undivided responsibility
and the intelligent study of problems
constantly arising"
Taxi Stand Is Cited.
The report singles out the establish
ment of a taxi stand at Eighteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue by the
Commissioners, in conflict with an order
of the director of traffic that there
shall be no parking on the east side of
Eighteenth street during the afternoon
rush hour. such inconsistency" the
report finds Gin the regulation of traf-
f1c Is caused directly by divided con-
troll, and clearly shows that an intel
ligent plan cannot be mapped out as
long as the District Commissioners at
tempt independently to regulate one
phase, and the director of traffic
another phase of traffic control"
The report winds up with a recon-
mendation that 1.-The director of traffic
be recognized as the proper official to
initiate regulations establishing hack
stands as well as all other matters di-
rectly relating to the control of traf-
f1c in the District of Columbia, sub
ject only to the approval Of the Dis
trict Commissioners.
AS to the ''usurpation" by the Public
Utilities Commission, the bureau holds
that since the public utilities act. was
passed In 1918, and the act setting up
he position of director of traffic in
1925, and since the traffic act spe-
cifically grants exclusive authority to
the director of traffic in certain cases,
Congress must have intended to give
full and complete authority to the
director Of traffic, subject only to ap-
proval OF the Board of Commissioners
in fhngQ NoCoC aY1lipao tod fv, Tho a ~
as well as matters generally coming
under the head of control of traffic. -
The bureau takes the corporation coun-
sci sharply to task for a written opinion
in conflict with the bureaus ideas on
the subject.
Bus Permit Is Pointed Out.
The commission is specifically ac-
cused Of granting an interstate bus line
permission to use Thirteenth street over
the objection of the director of traffic,
but the charge Is taken even further.
and the bureau finds that the commits
sion has no control over interstate
sbusses for any purpose whatsoever. This
being the case, the report holds that
when interstate buses want to use
Washington streets they should not APP
ply to the Utilities Commission, but d.
rectly TO the director Of traffic, and his
action on the application should be
final.
The bureau report states that the set
ting aside Of parking spaces for inter
or intra city buses by the commission
Is an invasion of the powers of the di-
rector Of traffic, and dismiSSes an opin-
ion of the corporation counsel to the
contrary as erroneous"
The bureau report holds sightseeing
and special BUSES, such as take patrons
to the nearby Maryland race tracks, are
not under the authority of the Utili-
ties Commission, and makes the same
suggestions for them as for Interstate
buses.
A blanket regulation is proposed for
routing of all classes of buses by the
director of traffic. In the case Of in
tracity BUSES only, the bureau recon-
mends that the application for a route,
though still made to the director of
traffic, should be accompanied by an
approval from the Public Utilities Com
mission.