Evening star., 1954-05-14
Conference Accord
Sought on Bill for.
Area transportation
By Harold B. Rogers


Legislation to set UP two dif-
ferent commissions dealing with
transportation in the Washing
ton Metropolitan Area soon VIII
be headed for a joint House-
Senate conference committee to |
iron out differences in House
and Senate versions.
The House yesterday asked the
Senate for a conference, and
appointed House confereeS. The
Senate may name its own men,
bers today for the conference
committee.
Originating in the House,
the measure would establish a
presidentially appointed nine.
member commission to make
comprehensive study of trans
portation problems, including
highways, brings and mass
transit service.
Passed by the House last June,
1t went to the Senate, where it
was amended. The Senate Com
merce Committee added to the
bill a proviso for a three-mem-
Der regulatory commission to
control public passenger car
rierS. The Senate District Com
mittee agreed to that, with some
minor amendments.
Dormant in House,
The Senate, last July %,
passed the one-package bill for
two different commissions and
sent 1t back to the House. But
the measure has been dormant
on the Speakers desk ever since.
Late yesterday, Representative
kearnS, Republican, of Pennsyl-
Vania called up the measure and
asked for a conference. The
House approved.
The House confereeS named
are Mr.. KearnS, chairman of the
House District subcommittee
that handled the original study
commission bill; Representative
Broyhil1, Republican, of Virginia,
sponsor Of that bill, and Repre-
sentative Davis, Democrat, of
Georgia. All are District Com
mittee members.
Indications today were that
the conferees may be asked to
consider proposal by Mr.. Broy-
hill to eliminate Virginia's OBJ
lection to the regulatory COM
mission by making the control
commission apply only to the
District and to Maryland.
State Agency Protests.
Virginia's objection to con-
trolls over public transportation
had come from Representative
Smith, Democrat, of that State
and from the State Corpora
ton Commission. They charged
invasion of the rights of the
State.
Senator Johnson, Democrat,
OF Colorado. original sponsor of
the regulatory commission bill,
who may be one of the Senate
conferees, said he personally
would vote to eliminate Virginia
Iom control. But he predicted
that when the regulation went
into effect in the District and
Maryland, Virginians might see
the advantages of such GEN.
tralized regulation and want to
join.
Senator Payne, Republican, of
Maine, is another possible con-
fierce, since he is a member of
both the Senate'S Commerce and
District committees. He said
personally he felt that, if Vir-
ginia were eliminated from
regulatory commission controls.
1t would virtually nullify the
value of such Metropolitan
Area control. leaving only Mary
land the District under it. He
pointed to the tremendous flow
OF traffic" into and out of Vir-
ginia.
Wants Action.
The Maine Senator. who
headed a special District SUBJ
committee investigating mass
transportation problems here,
said he hopes that if the study
commission finally is authorized
by Congress, it would not lust
study something to death"
He trusted it would use every
thing available so far on the
entire area, including the tire
mendous volume of material"
gathered by his own subcom-
mittee.
Mr.. Broyhill pointed out that
his bill for the study group had
passed both House and Senate. |
If the confereeS should agree to
eliminate Virginia from control |
by the regulatory commission;
he hoped the measure could
become law.
Representative Hyde. Republi-
can, of Maryland who has been
pushing the regulatory commits
sion project, said he was disap-
pointed that the one-package bill |
had been sent to conference in |
its present condition.
Mr.. Hyde charged the Senate
version of the regulatory COM
mission is inadequate and said
he had hoped to substitute for
that section his own perfected |
measure for the same purpose.
Mr.. Hyde said Senator Johnson
had agreed to accept the Hyde
version.