Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-23
Meeting of Conferees on Transit Bill
Sought by District Committee Stoff


officials today sought to set up
a meeting of House and Senate
conferees on the Washington
transit crisis.
This came on the heels of ap-
pointment late yesterday by the
House of a seven-man team OF
conferees. 1t will meet with a
five-man team named last Fri
day by the Senate.
All House conferees are men,
bers of the Transportation Sub
committee of the House Inter-
state and Foreign Commerce
Committee which drafted
House-passed bill to restore with
improvements the dying fran
chise of Capital Transit Co.
Under present law, the franchise
will expire at midnight next
August IA.
House conferees are:
Oren Harris, So, "a lawyer,
chairman of the Transportation
subcommittee of the House In
terstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee. This is the group
which negotiated terms of new
franchise with Capital Transit
Co., under which the company
would consider remaining in
business. A Democrat, he is
completing 16 years in the
House, and comes from the
southwest corner of Arkansas. He
also is a member of the District
committee, and was conferee
last summer on the bill which
revoked the CTC franchise.
John Bell Williams, 81, who
represents the Southwesternmost
district in Mississippi, is also a
democrat, a lawyer and former
prosecuting attorney. He, too,
lis a member of the District com
mittee. as we'll as of the Inter
state and Foreign Commerce
Committee. A former Army Air
Corps pilot during World War
II. he has been in Congress near
ly 10 years.
Peter F. Mack, jr., 80. Demo-
crat of Illinois, is from the CEN
trial part of the State. He has
been in Congress nearly eight
wears. A naval aviator and navi-
CATION instructor. qualified to ny
lets. he served in the Navy AIR
Force during World War II and
now holds the reserve rank OF
lieutenant commander. Al
though he attended none OF the
Transportation Subcommittee
hearings on the transit problem.
he explained on the House floor
that he had sat in on all execu-
tive sessions and strongly in
dorsed the restoration bill.
Walter E. Rogers, At. is COM
pleting six years as Democratic
representative of the Texas Pan
handle district. Also a lawyer.
educated at the University of
Texas Law School in Austin, he
is a former district attorney. He
is a member of the District of
Columbia Bar. as well as of the
American and State of Texas
Bar Associations.
Charles A. WOlvertOn is round
ing out 80 years in Congress as
Republican Representative of
the district which lies at the
southwest edge of New Jersey.
He is ranking minority member
of the transportation Subcom-
mittee as well as of the full
Interstate and Foreign Com
merce Committee and was chair
man of the full committee when
Congress was under Republican
control. A lawyer. he sharply
opposed plans for public author
lily ownership of the Washington
transit system during committee
hearings.
Carl Hinshaw, Republican of
Pasadena, Calf, is completing
10 years in Congress. He is a
civil engineer princeton, 1870,
a postgraduate student in bust
ness administration university
of Michigan. 1916-17) and COM
Ipleted service in World War l as
a captain in the Army Engineer
Corps. A Chicagoan by birth,
he worked in the automobile in
Idustry and investment banking
until 1929, when he moved to
Pasadena and entered the real
ESTATE and insurance business.
He is a director of the National
Aeronautic Association and pres
lident of the Aero Club of South
ern California.
James ]. DOlliver, 81, Re-
publican from North Central
Iowa. is a lawyer completing IL
years in Congress. He is a
former prosecuting attorney and
Ia veteran of Signal Corps service
lin World War 1.
The Senate confereeS. APP
pointed Friday. are all members
of the Senate District Committee
which drafted a bill to set up a
publicly owned Washington
Metropolitan Transit Authority
on an interim" basis. 1t would
take over operation of mass
Transportation here when the
ICTC franchise expires August Ia.
Patrick V. Mcnamara, 81,
Democrat of Michigan, beat
Senator Homer Ferguson two
years ago. He is chairman of
the Senate District Committees
Subcommittee on public health,
Education. welfare and safety
the group which drafted the
transit authority bill.
Long the unpaid president Of
the Pipe Filters Union. Local 636,
IAFL. Of Detroit. Senator Nc
INamara came to Washington
with strong support from Michi-
gan unions. He had been the
highly paid sales manager and
vice president of a Detroit me-
Ichanical contracting company.