Evening star., 1932-04-25
Measure in Virtually Same
Form as When Submitted
by Commissioners.
EFFORT TO GET SENATE
CONSIDERATION FAILS
Proposal Remains on Calendar
and May Be Taken Up Later
IN Session.

The street railway merger bill, in
practically the same form in which it
was submitted by the District Commits
s1oners, is being considered in the
house today, with Representative Lor-
ing Black, Democrat, of New York in
charge of the measure
More than score of members of the
house who, during previous sessions
Vi congress mad been members of the
house District Committee and who
have participated in voIuminous hear
lngs on the merger proposal. are en-
gaging in the debate on the present
permissive legislation.
Representative Black explained that
oy the terms of an act of Congress ap-
proved March 4, 1925, a merger of the
District street car companies was au-
tnorlZed, the terms of the agreement
between the companies to be subject to
the approval of the majority in the
amount OF the stock of the respective
companies and to the approval of the
JOINT resolution of Congress. Pursuant
70 that authority. the companies made
an agreement which, after being ap-
proved by a former Public Utilities
commission, was submitted to Congress
Inc Senate District Committee en-
ployed DR.. NJ. r. Maltbie of New York.
public utilities expert, and as a re-
suit resolution similar to the one be-
lore the House today, but not SO favor
able to the public, Representative Black
SAID, was reported to the Senate and
House.
Bus Question Involved.
The present resolution, he ex-
planned, is in the form of an approval
by congress of unilcation agreement
Wnlch has already been approved bv
tho Public Utilities Commission. It is
subject to acceptance by the stock
holders and the presidents OF the COM
pan1es have testified it will be recon-
mended for such acceptance. The rea-
son such procedure has been adopted.
Nj. Black said, is that until Congress
has acted 1t is impossible for the stock
holders to pass upon an agreement.
one OF the chief points discussed dur
ing hearings on this merger resolution
was with regard to the possibility of the
united company driving existing taxi
cabs out of business. To eliminate this
question, the committee proposed
amendments by which the unified COM
pany would be authorized to engage in
the street railway and bus business, but
with the operation of taxicabs specifi-
cally eliminated from their field.
Motion in Senate Fails.
An effort to have the Senate take up
the merger resolution today failed.
The merger was considered by the
Senate for about an hour last week,
but was displaced at the end of that
time by other business Shortly after
the Senate met today Senator Austin,
Republican of Vermont, made a motion
to proceed again with its considera-
ton. On standing vote the motion
was lost.
The resolution, however, remains on
the Senate calendar and may be con-
sidered later in the session. Senator
Austin filed the report of the majority
of the District Committee in favor of
the merger resolution, but there is also
pending minority report by Senators
Capper Of Kansas and Blaine of Wis
consin advocating several changes in
the plan.
The Senate also postponed action
again on the bill to establish a board
OF 1ndeterminate sentence and parole
for the District of Columbia.