Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-22
SESS|0NON UTILITY
BILL IS POSTPONED
Vote on A. A. A. Measure
Interferes With Sched-
uIed Conference.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The A. A. A. bill today interfered
with plans of congressional conferees
to start work on attempting tn recon-
Gle differences between the Senate
and House on the utilities bill.
A scheduled meeting was postponed
to give Senators opportunity 70 vote
on the A. A. A. measure. When 1t
would be held was not decided
Senator Wheeler. Democrat, of Mon
tana later announced the conferees
would hold their first meeting We'd
nesday.
The leading question at issue was abo-
lition of certain utility holding COM
panies. The Senate measure called
for mandatory abolition of "unneces-
sary" holding firms seven years
hence, while the House measure
would give permissive authority to
the Securities Commission to dissolve
them.
Administration forces we're hopeful
that recent disclosures in the lobby
investigation conducted by the SEN
ate would help to put mandatory alb
clifton across. These included testi-
mony that many anti-utility bill tele-
grams sent to Washington were signed
with names taken from a city direc-
tory and that officials of one company
instructed employees to destroy their
records of the campaign.
Continued Fight Promised.
However, Philip H. Gadsden, chair
man of the Committee of Public Util-
tiles Executives, said disclosures of
acts by "a few minor utility officials
must not be utilized to create an at
mosphere of passion and prejudice in
which the sponsors of Government
ownership can force the passage of
any bill destructive of the public
interest
He said his committee will fight
the Senate-approved bill by every
proper means within its power
Gadsden called attention to the
House investigation of Government
lobbying" He declared 1t had dis
closed certain activities on the part
of Government officials that will be
condemned by the American people"
and added that no one would for
that reason issue general condem-
nation of the Government"
Charge by Brewster.
Representative Brewster, Republican,
Of Maine had charged that Thomas G.
Corcoran, administration lawyer. had
threatened to stop work on a power
project in Brewster's district if he
voted against the abolition clause
Corcoran denied it,
Further power and telegraph COM
pany witnesses will testify before the
Lobby Committee headed by Senator
Black, Democrat, of Alabama with re-
sumption Of the hearings tomorrow.
Scheduled to appear are three wit
nesseS from York, Pa: Quay C. Halter,
sales representative of the Metropoli-
tan Edison Co: Luther A. Coleman,
manager of the Postal Telegraph Co.,
and J. E. Coble, manager of the West
ern Union Office there.
One of the key" House men in the
administration fight for abolition
said several Representatives have indi-
Gated a desire to change their stand
in the light of evidence uncovered by
the Senate committee. He predicted
the House would reverse itself on an
other vote.
Rejection on Teller Vote.
The House rejection of the death
sentence" was on a teller vote"
though it refused to accept the entire
Senate bill on roll call vote. Pre-
dictions we're heard that the con-
ferees, after quickly agreeing on nom
controversial matters, would find
themselves unable to concur on hold
ing company abolition and would re-
port back to House and Senate for
further instructions" This would
bring the roll call vote in the House
wanted by abolition advocates.
The Senate's action in standing by
its original bill. after the House had
eliminated the disputed section, and
the administration subsequent over
whelming House victory on the Ten
nessee Valley Authority bill also were
cited by administration supporters as
indicative of a change in sentiment.