Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-18
D|RKSEN PROMISES
CAREFUL INQUIRY
OF TRANSIT FARES
All Data on Valuation, Rates,
Corporate Set-up and
I Profits to Be Sought.
HOLDING FIRM CONTROL
TO BE INVESTIGATED
Illinois Legislator Consults With
Public Utilities Body Off.
Gals on Huge Task.
By DON S. WARREN.

by DUN >. NARkEN.
Careful examination of all available
data bearing on the valuation, rates
corporate set-up, foreign control and
profits of the Capital Transit Co. was
promised today by Representative
Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois, be-
fore he takes any action in the con-
troversy over the increase in the street
car token fare.
Mr.. Dirken conferred today with of
ficials of the Public Utilities Commits
sion and cut out huge task for him
self in his investigation of the transit
company and the reasonableness Of the
recent decision of the commission fix
ing the token rate at 6 for so cents
in an order which provided uniform
ity of fares and universal free trans
fers
At the same time, it was announced
conference of all civic, fraternal and
trade union organizations in the Dis
trlct will be held Tuesday night in the
old Interior Department Auditorium
TO consider means of combating the
increase in street car fare.
Edna Anderson, secretary of the
committee sponsoring the conference
said William A. Roberts. former
peoples counsel, and William NICK
Clayton, chairman of the Public I1tili-
ties Committee of the Federation OF
Citizens Associations, have been in
vited to address the meeting.
Has Open Mind.
When Representative Dirksen I'M
dertook to make the preliminary
transit company study for a subcom
mittee of the House District Commit
tee. he declared he was going into
the examination with an open mind
and would endeavor to be fair to all
parties commemorative riding public
the company, its stockholders and the
commission. He determined that he
must have all available evidence in
the records before he could pursue
his plan.
At the conclusion of today's con-
ference Mr.. Dirksen revealed that he
proposes to inquire into the control
held by the North American Co. over
both the Capital Transit Co. and the
Potomac Electric Co.-Which sells
power to the transit concern-as a
part of his study. He revealed also
he would inquire into conditions of
the operation of the power company
to some degree. even beyond its direct
l.
street car company
Mr.. DirkSen consulted at the Dis
trict Building with Richmond B.
Keech, vice chairman of the commits
sion; James L. Martin, its executive
secretary; B. M. Bachman, commission
chief accountant, and Fred A. Sager,
chief engineer. Afterward Mr.. Dirksen
said:
To Be Made Public.
II really haven't anything to an
nounce yet. l am just preparing to go
to work. l am obtaining copies of the
commissions order, digests of the COM
missions evidence on the value of the
transit company and of the two transit
concerns prior to the merger. COM
parative statement of the rates of
the Capital Transit Co. and those of
other cities, the rates valua ton and
other information on the Potomac
Electric Power Co., in addition to per-
tinent data available at the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission, the
Federal Power Commission and the
Federal Trade Commission.
When get all this information I'm
going to take off my coat and really 20
to work. When have sufficient data
surveyed I shall draft report which
probably will be very comprehensive
I shall submit this to the subcommit-
tee, which is headed by Representative
Jennings Randolph Democrat, of
West Virginia., but see now no rea-
son why this should not Immediately
be made public, since a public issue
has been raised over the fares charged
by the transit company"
A Huge Task.
The members of the House District
Subcommittee. in addition to Chair
man Randolph, are Mr.. Dirksen and
Laurence F. Arnold, Democrat, of
Illinois. Chairman Palmisano of the
House District Committee has an
nounced that the full District Com
mittee plans to hold no hearings dur
ing the special session, but Mr.. Dirk
sen said he anticipated the special
subcommittee probably would hold
hearings on the Capital Transit issue
If hearings were needed or deemed
advisable.
The size of the task undertaken by
Mr.. Dirksen may be illustrated by
the fact the commissions records on
the recent transit case include a
transcript of testimony in the one
man car case running some 1000
pages; a transcrip in the street-car
valuation case of some 5000 pages
and transcript in the street car rate
case of more than LOO pages. In
addition to this evidence there were
81 exhibits filed in the valuation case
and 40 exhibits in the rate case. Mr.
Dirksen die not ask for copies OF
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