Evening star., 1933-01-04
TRACTION MERGER
BILL TO Be CALLED
UP NEXT MONDAY
Mrs. Norton to Seek House
Approval of Senate Meas
ure on District Day.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERS
MEASURE INFORMALLY
Patrick's Statement on Public In
terest Reported on Way to
Capitol Today.

Next Monday, which Is scheduled as
District day in the House, Chairman
Norton of the House District Commit
tee, by direction of the committee at
a meeting today, will call up the street
railway merger bill. which is now on
the Speakers desk, and ask that the
House concur in the Senate amend
ments. This would Immediately send
this measure, which has been in con-
troversy for more than 25 years, to the
President for his signature
The discussion on this measure by
the District Committee today was in
formal in view of the fact the bill, as
amented by the Senate. is still lying
on the Speakers table. Chairman Nor
ton has requested that it be allowed
to stay there hoping that she could
get an agreement from the District
Committee to accept the Senate amend
ments and prevent sending the bill to
conference between the House and
Senate.
Wants Commission Statement.
Representative Patman, Democrat, of
Texas, said he would insist upon
statement in writing from the Public
Utilities Commission that the bill, with
amendments, as passed by the Senate
Counsel Bride notified the committee
that Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chairman
of the Public Utilities Commission, has
prepared such statement, which is on
its way to the committee.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Rob-
erts, who has worked on this legisla-
ton. explained the Senate action to
the House Committee, summarizing the
Senate Amendment as follows:
All power rates are to be fixed by the
Public Utilities Commission; the Po-
tomac Electric Power Co. is to get the
profit from the sale of power, which can
go to betterments, the street railway
companies have agreed to accept the
3-cent car fare rate for children at
tending both public and parochial
schools
The latter was one of the provisions
on which Chairman Norton was par
ticularly insistent. The signing Of the
agreement by the street railway COM
panies would mean vacating proceed
ings in the courts on this subject.
Means Free Transfers.
The bill also would provide for free
universal transfers on the street car
mission authority to fix the rate on
transfers as between street cars and
buses and buses to buses.
The Public Utilities Commission
would have authority to fix a reduced
fare for short hauls without being
transferred, which means q start on a
zone system. Under the bill as passed
by the Senate, Congress reserves the
right to repeal any charter hereunder.
The bill specifically gives the Public
Utilities Commission the right to re-
quire reasonable abandonment Of tracks
or extension of tracks. Mrs Roberts
pointed out that this is an important
provision through which economies will
be effected as result of the merger.
Companies Held Satisfied.
The bill, as it stands, is in line with
the objection against granting the
merged company the right to operate
under subsidiary companies in the Dis
trict. 1t permits the merged company
to have subsidiaries operating in out
side territory, but in the District it
must operate through the new merged
company.
Members Of the committee asked Mr.
Roberts what else the corporation coun-
sells Office and other District officials
who have been working on this legisla-
ton would like to get, and he said
improvement of court review.
Chairman Norton announced the
street railway and bus interests were
well satisfied with the bill as 1t passed
the Senate She complimented Repre-
sentative Black, chairman of the sub
committe which handled the legislation,
for his work.