Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-03
Plan 10 Move
transportation
Bill Sought
Legislation for z
Commissioners Still
On Speakers Desk
BY Harold B. Rogers

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House District Committee
leaders planned to begin chart
ing a course of action today on
long delayed legislation to create
two different commissions deal
ing with mass transportation
problems here.
The bill, now on the House
Speakers desk, would set up q
three-man commission to regu-
late public passenger traffic in
the Metropolitan Area, and an
other larger commission to make
a study of transportation, bridges
and highways.
Chairman Kearns of a House
District subcommittee said he
planned to confer with high
House officials today on possible
procedure. An earlier proposal
to call up the measure on the
House floor and send it to con-
ference with the Senate has been
set aside, at least temporarily.
Unusual Status.
Chairman Simpson of the
House District Committee and
Mr.. Kearns, Republican, of Penn
sylvania, have decided to try to
get some action on the two
commission bill. 1t has been on
the Speakers desk since the end
of the first session last summer
and has an unusual parliament
tary status.
The measure came out Of the
House District Committee as the
Broyhill bill for a presidentially
appointed commission to make a
comprehensive study of the whole
Metropolitan Areas traffic, trans
portation highway and bridge
problems.
1t passed the House. went to
the Senate, was amended to in
clude the three-man regulatory
body and was sent back to the
House. 1t has not yet been re-
ferred to any committee.
Similar Bill in Committee.
Similar legislation for a three
member regulatory commission,
sponsored by Representative
Hyde, Republican, of Maryland.
is pending in the House Com
merce Committee, which held
lengthy hearings. Commerce
Committee Chairman Wolverton,
before voting for the Broyhill
bill when it was up on the House
floor. said he wanted any further
consideration of such interstate
legislation handled by his COM
mittee.
Since the original House bill
was sponsored by Representative
Broyhill, Republican. of Virginia
and came back to the House as
an amended House bill, House
leaders have been looking to the
District Committee for recon-
mendations as to its disposition.
Mr., Kearns said he planned to
make every effort today to work
out some kind of procedure to
get the measure ready for early
action by the House.
On ID. C. Committee.
Both Representative Broyhill.
who favorS the study commits
sion. and Representative Hyde,
author of a three-member regu-
latory commission bill. are mem
berS of the House District Com
mlttee. They held a lengthy
conference some time ago with
the House parliamentarian. who
outlined possible procedures. But
so far there have been no def
mite steps taken to push the
measure
Meanwhile. there are other
pending developments in the
areas troubled transportation
problems
A Senate District Subcommit-
tee has wound up lengthy public
hearings in its investigation OF
Capital Transit Co. and other
public carriers in this area. The
senators and their staff are pre-
pairing report and recon-
mendations.
etc Dividend Blocked.
The Public Utilities Commits
sion has obtained a temporary
court order, restraining Capital
Transit Co. from redeeming its
bonds and distributing dividends.
Chairman Simpson of the
House District Committee has
been hoping for further consid.
Grafton of his bill on limitation
OF utility dividends here. Chair
man Tale of the District SUBJ
committee which held hearings
on the Simpson bill last session.
said he had not had time to
give further study to the meas
ure. No action has been taken
yet by the Tale subcommittee.