Evening star., 1952-06-06
Senate Group Studies
Transit Board Plan
For Washington Area

For Washington Area
New legislation to establish q
Metropolitan Area Transit Com
mission here was before the Sen
ate Interstate and Foreign Com
merce Committee today.
Sponsored by Committee Chair
man johnson, Democrat, of Colo
rado, the measure is the outgrowth
of long series of demands for
better coordination of public pas
senger services in the community
The new commission would con-
sist Of three members, appointed
for six years by the President,
from the District. Maryland and
Virginia. They would be subject to
confirmation by the Senate.
To Rule Motor and Rail Service.
The new agency would regulate
all motor vehicle and rail pas
Senger traffic inside the District
and interstate movements in and
out Of the city.
It would interfere in no way
with control over intra-State pas
senger service in Maryland and
Virginia by agencies in those
States.
The District Public Utilities
Commission would transfer to the
new commission its powers over
all public passenger carrying
facilities. But the PUG would
not relinguish its Jurisdiction
over other utilities here, such as
those furnishing gas, electricity or
telephone service.
The new agency would take over
from the Interstate Commerce
Commission certain jurisdiction it,
now holds over interstate pas
senger traffic in this Metropolitan
Area.
The bill was drafted at the
suggestion of Senator Johnson
after public hearings he held re-
Gently.
Would Control Taxicabs.
The legislation would give the
new commission regulation over
taxicabs. Senator johnson made
it clear, at the public hearing,
that he intends the agency to-
have control over taxi service.
The area of jurisdiction is spec
flied in the bill. It includes the
District. Montgomery and PrinceI
Georges Counties in Maryland;
Arlington and Fairfax Counties inI
Virginia. and the cities of Alex
andria and Falls Church, Va.
Senator johnson said his new
bill is a big improvement over
previous legislation. The earlier
measure had called for compacts
including the District. Virginia
and Maryland.
The new bill, he explained,
would require no compacts what
ever. This feature had been OBJ
jected to at recent hearings on two
pending bills.
CTC Asks New Plan.
The new johnson legislation was
introduced in the Senate late yes
terday, following several other de-
velopments involving the Capital
Transit Co.
This company yesterday fled
with the PUG a petition to elimi-
nate the $2.10 weekly pass and ALL
tokens, making the fare a straight
is cents a ride.
The company also appealed toI
Congress to permit the PUG toI
grant a temporary increase In |
fares before q public hearing.
This met with sharp criticism
from some quarters and an atti-
tude of wait and see" in others.
Investigation of Capital Transit
Co. by House District subcom-
mittee was being advanced by
James M. Lands. noted New York
lawyer and former Securities and
Exchange Commission chairman.
He will make report on the COM
pany's affairs next week to the
subcommittee, headed by Repre-
sentative Kennedy, Democrat, Of
Massachusetts,.
Senators Assail Plan.
The sharpest criticism Of the
transit lines proposal for tempo
rary increases without public
hearings came from two Senators.
Senator johnson declared blunt
ly: THAT leaves me stone cold"
Senator Kefauver. Democrat, oil
Tennessee, front runner for the
presidential nomination, issued aI
caustic statement:
Apparently there are no limits
to the boldness Of the present.
management Of the Capital Transit
Co"
Chairman Mcmillan Of thel
House District Committee was
more cautious in his comment onl
the proposal for new legislationI
for temporary fare raises.
He said he is holding up the
proposed bill requested by the
company but will lay it open for
discussion at a committee meeting
next Tuesday.
"I am not ready to say now
whether will introduce 1t or not. u
he declared.
Public Hearing Set tuesday,