Evening star., 1953-07-29
Transit Probe
Plans 10 Be
Charted Soon
Case Committee
Ready to Move as
Senate Votes Study
By Harold B. Rogers

BY Harold B. Rogers
Plans for a congressional in
vestigation of the Capital Transit
Co. and other lines serving
Washington will be charted soon
by the Senate District Commit
tee.
The probe was ordered by the
Senate late yesterday, when it
adopted without debate resolu-
ton giving full powers to the
District unit or one of it's sub
committees. The sum of $35, 900
was made available for expenses.
District Committee Chairman
Case, Republican. of South Da-
kota, welcoming the "long-
sought" authority for the inves-
tigation, announced he will call
his committee into session soon
to make arrangements.
Personally, the Senator said,
he will recommend that a sub
committee take over the respon-
sibility, to be headed by Senator
Payne, Republican, of Maine.
But decision as to the size of the
subcommittee and it's member
ship will be left to the full COM
mittee, Senator Case emphasized.
Would Include NeeIy.
Should the assignment go to
the Payne Subcommittee on
Business and Commerce, the
personnel would include Chair
man Payne, Senator Barrett, Re-
publican, of Wyoming and Sena-
tor Nicely, Democrat, of West
Virginia. Senator Neely, former
chairman of the full District
Committee. was one of the first
to introduce legislation, years
ago, for study of public trans
portation in Washington, in
Guiding Capital Transit.
Whether any other members of
the District Committee, such as
Senator Morse. Independent, of
Oregon, would be added to the
investigating group remained to
be determined.
A special staff of experts could
be employed to pursue the tech
nical phases of the study. Among
the firms mentioned recently was
the management and accounting
organization known as Ernst &
Ernst, whose representatives at
tended District Committee meet
ings. 1t formerly did some work
for Senator Payne when he was
Governor of Maine.
The resolution ordering the
inquiry, introduced by Senator
Case, was approved early in July
by the District Committee, and
yesterday by the Senate Com
mittee on Rules and Administra-
ton. It was called up on the floor
late yesterday afternoon, and
passed without any objection.
House Action Stalled.
Earlier this session, the Sen
ate had passed a resolution for
a joint investigation by a COM
mittee of Senate and House Dis
trict Committee members. But
the measure was stalled in the
House Rules Committee, and the
Senate committee decided to do
the work on it's own.
Broad authority is given the
inquiry group. It is authorized
Ito make a full and complete
study and investigation of pub
lie transportation serving the
District of Columbia, including
the fiscal, management and op-
Grating policies of common car
.riers which transport passengers
in the District of Columbia.
Furthermore, the committee
is ordered to look into "the reg
ulation of such carriers by the
Public Utilities Commission of
the District of Columbia. and
other matters related thereto"
The committee is required to
report to the Senate by January
81, 1854. the results of its in
vestigation together with such
recommendations as to neces-
sary legislation as it may deem
desirable"
May Use Agencies.
Facilities of Federal Govern
ment agencies to help in the in
vestigation are authorized, pro-
viding the consent of the agency
chiefs is obtained, The cost of
such services by Federal agencies
would be charged against the
District Committees special
investigating fund.
Senator Case said he doubted
he would serve on the inveSti-
eating subcommittee because he
plans to direct an inquiry during
the congressional recess into the
fiscal problems of the District.
Declaring the purpose of the
inquiry would be objective, Sen
ator Case said Il think this gives
us an opportunity to find out the
facts about the Capital Transit
Co."
The Senator observed: This
is the way we long have sought,
and mourned because we found
it not.
"We have been shooting for it
a long time" he declared. Both
the public and the Capital
Transit Co. will be glad, I feel,
to have these questions resolved
in a matter-of-fact objective
investigation. The sole purpose
will be to find out the facts"
A spokesman for the transit
company observed yesterday that
the company always has well
coined an investigation, and still
does