Evening star., 1956-03-29
Stuff to Druft
Proposal for
Interim Setup

The Senate District Com
mittee today unanimously di-
rected its staff to prepare a
new bill to create an interim"
public authority to take over
operation of Washington's mass
transit system.
The franchise of the Capital
Transit Co. expires next August
IA.
Fifteen days were allowed for
the work to be done. After the
Congressional Easter recess, the
committee then will decide just
what legislation to recommend to
prevent a stoppage of mass
transportation services in the
Metropolitan area.
District Commissioner Samuel
Spencer said the city heads have
instructed their staff workers to
be ready to aid the Senate COM
mite staff in revising the pend
ing transit authority bill.
At the same time, the Com
misSioners are studying recon-
by a House Com
merce subcommittee to permit
Capital Transit to continue mass
transit operations after the Au-
gust deadline.
Meet With Utilities Unit
The city heads met for nearly
two hours yesterday with the
District Public Utilities Commis-
sion for discussions of their
role in the conflicting policies
espoused by the two Congress
sional committees.
Members of the District Com
mittee, meeting a half hour be-
fore the Senate convened today.
were obviously very much con-
Icerned about what to do.
They had before them a
lengthy report from the Welfare
Subcommittee, headed by Sena-
tor Mcnamara, Democrat of
Michigan, recommending prepa-,
ration of a bill for an interim
authority-to run from one to
three years-but placing the
overall responsibility and new
authority in the hands of the
District Commissioners.
Senate members still were
Iclinging to the hope that even
ltually the city heads will be able
to find some new private opera
tor able to pick up the service
when the CTC franchise dies.
AS members explained it, If a
standby arrangement for a pub
lie authority is established, the
Commissioner would be able to
continue negotiations for that
long sought private operator.
Called Needed Arrangement
They called this a necessary
and desirable flexible arrange
ment.
An entirely different phil
osophy seems to be developing
at the other end of Capitol Hill.
There the Harrison Subcommit-
tee of the House Commerce
Committee seems to be turning
it's thoughts to bills by Chair
man Mcmillan of the House Dis
trict Committee and Repre-
sentative Broyhill, Republican
of Virginia, to renew the fran
chise of the Wolfson-controlled
CTC, with major relief from
present taxes.
Senator Bible. Democrat of
Nevada, raised the question at
the Senate District Committee
meeting as to how an interim
public authority could be
financed.
Senator Case, Republican OF
New Jersey, a member OF the
Mcnamara subcommittee, said
this would have to be done
through the Government" He
suggested there could be a bond
issue under Government spon-
sorship or perhaps Treasury
loan.
Senator Morse, Democrat of
Oregon, agreed that I'VE are in
serious trouble" but he sup
ported the welfare subcommit-
tee recommendation that the
staff be assigned to go to work
on a new bill, which would be
taken up for action after tie
Easter recess.
The District commissioners
and the Public Utilities Commits
sion have expressed themselves
as in favor of a public authority.