Evening star., 1936-11-22
Widespread Demand TO Retain
Office of Peoples Counsel.

Office of Peoples Counsel.
ORGANIZED civic Washington.
through resolution being
passed at nearly every meeting, is
most insistent that the Office of
peoples counsel be not abolished.
There are expressions of alarm
and disappointment at the sugges-
ton. that the President has de-
layed filing the vacancy In order
to consider doing away with the
position.
The two civilian members Of the
Public Utilities Commission and
the peoples counsel are nominated
by the President and confirmed by
the Senate, and are therefore not
the creatures Of or subordinates
OF the District of Columbia Com
missioners. The Commissioners
have sought authority to appoint
all boards under the District gov
eminent, and some suspect that
one Of the reasons prompting the
"City Fathers" to suggest doing
away with the job is because 1t is
just another official beyond their
control. OF course, William A.
Roberts, upon retiring. suggested
that the Office should be equipped
with personnel to do the work or
else abolished. but that is not
considered sufficient reason.
There is an interesting back
ground to the passage Of the act
creating the present independent
commission and Office of peoples
counsel. In January. 1926, ths
Commissioners had introduced in
the House of Representatives a
bill for the enlargement of the
Public Utilities Commission by the
addition of two members and au-
thorizing the Commissioners to
appoint a peoples counsel and a
legal adviser.
The bill did not get very far with
the subcommittee Of the House
District Committee, which held that
the commission had never fairly
served the people. was not then
able to serve the people and could
see no way in which it could better
conditions for the people. Facing
such alleged conditions the sub
committee could see no reason for
continuing the commission as then
existing. They also could see little
good to be gained by enlarging the
commission when the old commits
sion would have a majority vote
and veto power over the two ex-
perts who would be devoting their
full time to the work. The sub
committee recognized that the Dis
trict Commissioners had failed as
a Public Utilities Commission be-
cause they we're too busy with their
other duties.
On April Z, 1925. Chairman Zihl-
man Of the House District Com
mittee introduced his bill for the
creation Of an independent COM
mission appointed by the President
and confirmed by the Senate.
Three civilians, one an engineer.
were to be appointed for staggered
terms of three years and peoples
counsel was to be appointed in the
same manner. The bill passed the
House in this form and the next
Winter 1t was amended in the Sem
ate by substituting the Engineer
Commissioner for the civilian en-
gineer. This change was made at
the earnest request of Engineer
Commissioner ]. Franklin Bell, who
held that 1t was essential that the
District Commissioners and the
Utilities Commission work in har-
mony in a number Of matters over
which both boards exercise con-
troll.
The act creating the commits
sion as modified by the Senate
became law and the office OF
peoples counsel was created. The
impelling force behind the passage
of this act was the organized civic
forces of the District. They were
then thoroughly sold" on the idea
of providing peoples counsel.
They now claim that they have
been convinced thoroughly that
they we're right in demanding the
creation of this Office. They feel
that they have had numerous DEM
~ ife "a the
people.
The hearing during the past
week of the petition Of the Capital
Transit Co. to substitute busses for
street cars between Takoma and
the downtown section showed to a
marked degree a very large gap in
the handling of the case by reason
of the absence of the guiding hand
of the peoples counsel.
The conferences which Roberts
was in the habit Of holding with
the citizen groups enabled him to
coordinate the various views Of
the organizations and materially
reduce the time and clarity the
problems. The conflict of interest
and opinion at the recent hear
ing might have been entirely be.
yond, the power of any peoples
counsel to help. But there are
those who believe he might have
helped even in 50 complex situa-
ton.
1t appears that the associations
are not going to give up the ONCE
of peoples counsel without q de-
terfnined struggle.
Joint Movement for Building .
Northern High School.
AN ACTIVE campaign Is under