Evening star., 1948-10-03
Removal Of PUG Chic
And Aide Sought in
Petition 10 Truman

Removal of Public Utilities Com
mission Chairman James H. Flana-
gan and Commissioner James w.
Lauderdale for gross neglect Of
duty" in the Capital Transit Co.
fare increase decision was demanded
yesterday in a petition to President
Truman from the Washington Com
mittee for Consumer Protection.
The statement of grievances
asked the President to order hear
ing on the fitness of the two PUG
members as we'll as peoples counsel,
John O'Dea, to hold Office.
The PUG Thursday authorized
the transit company to raise its
cash fare from 10 to 13 cents, sell
three tokens for IS cents, and in
crease the cost of the weekly pass
from $3.50 to SITS. effective Oc-
tober 81. Peoples Counsel ODea
suggested at hearings last August
that the cash fare be raised to
II cents. with tokens at two for
Is cents, and the weekly pass
at $l.65.
Policy Change Asked.
The Consumer Protection Com
mittee petition also requested the
President to recommend that Con-
gress eliminate the dual duties OF
Engineer Commissioner and Public
Utilities Commissioner now held by
Brig. Gen. Gordon r. Young.
"It Is clear that the charges of
arbitrary and improper action are
attributable not merely against
Commissioners Flanagan and Laud-
erdales but also against the Com
mission as a whole, including En-
gineer Commissioner Young" the
petition stated.
Engineer Commissioner Young
does not participate fully in the
work OF the commission for. among
other important cases, he did not
hear the pending Capital Transit
Company case We think it is
no longer possible for him properly
to maintain both functions and
responsibilities. The law should
therefore be changed so that the
Engineer Commissioner should hold
down only his job and an addi-
tional full-time member Of PUG
should be provided by Congress
sional act"
The 18-page petition and legal
brief, with an accompanying letter
calling for a vital and necessary"
reorganization of PUG, was pre-
pared by Harry r. Booth, COM
mittee counsel.
Mr.. Booth. committee officials
said. is an expert in public utility
regulation. a former chief of the
rate section of the Federal Com
munications Commission, and war
time head of utility rate work for
OPA. He also served as special
counsel for the procurement di-
vision of the Treasury Department.
At one time he was associated in
private law practice with David E.
Lilienthal, now chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission. In
1881 he, former Secretary of the
Interior Ickes and Paul H. Douglas,
present Democratic candidate for
Senator from Illinois, participated
in reorganization of the Illinois
Commerce Commission.
ODea Is Attacked.
In it's attack on Mr.. ODea, the
petition asserted "he falls so COM
pletely short of the fulfillment of
proper standards of public perform
ance as to require an immediate
change in that Office
His recent appearance in Fed
eral Court with Capital Transit and
District Commission attorneys for
the purpose of securing an injunc-
ton against an order of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission, thus
increasing the fares of Government
workers, shows how little he under
stands his responsibilities to the
consumers" the statement con-
tinued. Mr.. O'Dea's record shows
neither independence nor aggres-
sive performance of his duties to
the consumer. Since he largely
duplicates much of the work of the
Commissions attorney, the payment
of his salary and expenses now con-
stitutes a clear waste of the pub
lie funds"
Appointment of completely new
commission by the President, the
petition concluded. would not only
assure a fair hearing" in the
transit fare case, but would bring
about improvement in the Com
missions staff. The statement
added:
"A number of other important
constructive steps on behalf of the
public could thereafter be expected