Evening star., 1936-02-12
|. c. c. IS DELUGED
WITH TRUCK AND
BUSAPPL|CAT|ONS
Midnight Is Final Hour for
Filing Under New Motor
Carriers Act.
COMMISSION TO FORM
POLICY ON DELINQUENTS
Hearing to Be Held to Decide
Status of Concerns Operating
in Metropolitan Areas.

After a four month campaign in
every section Of the country to reach
interstate bus and truck interests COW
cred by the new motor carrier act, the
Interstate Commerce Commission to-
day approached the deadline for re-
ceiving operating applications with a
tremendous volume on hand and fur
ther additions expected before mid
night-the final hour for filing.
At the same time, deluge Of re-
ports, statistics, applications and route
maps fell on the Public Utilities Com
mission. which sits in with the I. c. C.
as a joint board under certain condi-
tions.
Under the law. which places l20-
day limit on applicants, none may be
considered after today. and it was
said the commission would have to
formulate the policy to be followed
with regard to those who, for some
reason or other, fail to file. Wherever
there is doubt, the Bureau Of Motor
Carriers, administering the act, has
recommended that an application be
filed simply as measure Of precau-
ton.
Hearing to Be Held.
1t was made known also that the
commission eventually will hold a
hearing to decide the status-So far as
general application of the law is con-
cerned-of common and contract
carriers operating in such metropoli-
tan areas as Washington and vicinity.
where one or more State lines are
crossed in the ordinary course of busi-
ness. The law makes certain excep-
tions, but it was explained the COM
mission would have to interpret
these.
The section in question exemptS the
following:
THE transportation of passengers
or property in interstate or foreign
commerce wholly within municipal
( ity or between contiguous municipali-
ties or within zone adjacent to and
commercially a part of any such mu-
nicipality or municipalities, except
when such transportation is under
common control. management or ar
rangement for a continuous carriage
or shipment to or from point with
out such municipality, municipalities,
/ or zone, and provided that the motor
carrier engaged in such transporta-
ton of passengers over regular or 1r-
regular route or routes in interstate
commerce is also lawfully engaged IN
/ the intrastate transportation of pas
sengers over the entire length Of such
| interstate route or routes, in accord
ance with the laws of each State hav-
ing jurisdiction; or the casual voca-
tional or reciprocal transportation OF
passengers or property in interstate or
foreign commerce for compensation by
any person not engaged in transporta-
ton by motor vehicle as regular oc-
cupation or business"
Must Decide Zone"
For example, it was said, the COM
mission would have to decide what
constitutes zone" but it is intended
to amplify the entire section.
The rates and charges of all common
or contract (public) carriers will be
subject to supervision and all carriers,
whether public or private delivery, will
have to meet certain requirements as
to the qualifications and hours Of serv-
ice for employees and safety of equip
ment. The regulations for applying
these hours and safety features are
being drawn up now.
Rate regulation will not apply until
April 1, but the schedule of charges
must be filed with the commission by
March 2.
It was said at the Motor Carriers
Bureau that there was no reason
why anybody coming within the scope
of the act had not been reached by
the bureaus contact efforts, in progress
since october.
The first step was to send out
200 900 applications to persons reached
through bus and truck associations
and public utility commissions. The
applications came in slowly, and 1t
was decided a closer touch was need
ed with the different localities, and
the % examiners were sent through
the country to call on motor aSso-
Citations and individual operators.
In order to speed up the work
further then, short application forms
were distributed. In consequence OF
this program, it was said the appl-
cations have been rolling in by the
thousands, and this mornings mail,
stacked high, gave an inkling Of the
Job before the bureau. 1t is expected
to be about 80 days before the bu-
reau can approximate the size of
its task.
The large work table in the office
of James Martin, District Public Utili-
ties Commission secretary, also was
stocked high with the documents.
Clerks were drawn from other duties
to attempt to file and index the re-
ports.
Martin announced the first hearing
involving the District Utilities Com
mission had been called by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission for Feb
ruary "a. 1t involves the business Of