Evening star., 1955-07-31

whether there had been . strike
or not there are reasonable
grounds for franchise cancella-
ton. He said the company's rec
ord showed that cancellation for
cause was possible. although the
law says that the franchise can
be cancelled without cause.
MANAGEMENT Scored
He asserted that the wolfson
MANAGEMENT came into the COM
pany when it was in COED finan-
cial condition and had taken
the assets and evacuated them. "
He said the action of the COM
pany compelled the Senate to
take action.
Senator Holland. Democrat of
Florida. said he was concerned
ito see to it that the measure,
which he supported, did not put
Congress in the position of de-
privine the company, or any
other company of its property
without due process Of law.
1t was at his instance that
Senator Morse presented the
amendment assuring the COM
pany's right of compensation.
Senator Morse said the matter
had been discussed in committee
but that it was felt that it was
constitutionally impossible to
take property without due proc
ess. For that reason, he said,
District officials had felt it ur1-
necessary to put the provision
in the bill.
( Senator Holland said he had
mot seen "a worse menace to
democratic government" than
the situation due to the transit
emergency. Four should share in
the responsibility, he added. He
cited first the company. and said
it had bad public relations.
The union also was respon-
sible. he said. because of its arbi-
itrary demands. He said the
union had been badly led and
badly advised.
He then listed the District
| Commissioners. He said that
too often their attitude had
been punitive. He said they had
not asked for any other method
for dealing with the crisis than
the one before the Senate.
Points to Congress, Too
Finally, he said, Congress has
to share the blame. He sale
Congress had failed in its dual
capacity as a national congress
land a local law making body.
"As q national legislature We
are now doing something which
we have refused to do for the
48 States. He said Congress has
steadily refused to amend the
Taft Hartley Act so that Stat
and municipal laws may be ap.
piled in similar situations, but
that now it was turning to 8
most drastic remedy"
He said Congress was respon.
sible for not changing the schoo
fare rate from its present
cents to half the normal adult
flare, and for not relieving util.
Iities of some of the taxes they
face. He said also that Con-
gress has mot granted home
rule, which might have avoided
our involvement" in the current
emergency.
Senator Allott, Republican oi
!, Colorado. explained that while
7 he did not approve Of the bill
; he would vote for it. He said hi
, believed the Senate could not gt
home leaving the people Of thu
District without legislation.
Thousands and thousands O.
. people are injured every day b.
1.-THE strike" he asserted. "Onl,
because Of what they are suf.
, fering am I willing to vote foI
: 1.-THE bill"
/ Like a ghost, he predicted, tn
: bill would rise up and plagu
5 u.s." He said it strains the in
tellect to think that any caus
. other than the strike was re
! sponsible for the situation de
manding the legislation.
> Damages Indicated
He said it must be realize
, that the action would be "plac
! ing the United States and tn
: District of Columbia liable t
,, tremendous damages-includin
! loss of profits"
: He related he had urged i
|, committee that a receivershi
|; be sought. He called this
cleaner procedure" and sal
that q contract with the unior
under a receivership, would hav
to be approved by the court
Damages would have been mini
! mized, he said.
This is more than o labol
dispute" he said. He asserted
, there had not been one step b.
the Commissioners "to seek re.
dress in a court Of law or
court Of equity"
| Senator Capehart asket
whether in approving the bill
Congress would not be doint
just what both management ant
labor want us to do?"
Senator Morse said no. HI
went on to say that the bill ii
the last thing the company
wants" Labor, he added, wa
j so against it that its member