Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-15
Continued From First Pag,

TO enact the authority idea
Previously. he had said there il
a fiat majority in the subcom-
mlttee against approving the au-
thority bill requested by the Dis
trict Commissioners under any
circumstances.
The new restoration measure
represents a major retreat by
Mr.. BroadWater from the 16-
point bill of concessions he first
sought from the subcommittee
1t is almost as much a retreat
from the terms of the restoration
bills introduced in the House
by Chairman Mcmillan of the
House District Committee and
Representative Broyhill. Repub-
lican of Virginia. which Mr..
Broadwater had agreed to accept.
In outline, the bill would:
l. Leave the company under
full regulatory control by the
District Public Utilities Commits
sion. despite earlier company re-
quests which would seriously
have modified that control.
2. Freeze streetcar and bus
fares for one year until August
IA, 1857.
g. End a dispute between the
company and the commission
over whether the commission
could let fare increases go into
effect without formal hearings.
A. Require the commission
II 1t chooses to suspend pro-
posed fare increases-to decide
or the new fares within 80 days.
The commission has taken as
long as IA months TO decide
some cases.
). Let the commission set a
charge for transfers, which now
are free.
Rate Base Frozen
S Freeze the companys rate
base" at s2o.256.678.76 as of
last July 81, plus or minus later
additions or retirementS of
streetcars and buses. This
would end, in the company's
favor, an old argument in which
the commission contended the
rate base was S24 million too
high because OF depreciation
account shortages.
7. Freeze the depreciation rate
on all property owned by the
company as of last July 81. leav-
ing the commission free to de-
termlne the rate on all property
acquired since then. This would
bar the commission from &C
ceptlng the minority suggestion
OF Commissioner Robert M
Weston that the streetcars be
written of as worthless.
3, Declare as a matter o.
legislative determination that &
return Of 6 ? per centum on thu
system rate base is the
fair and reasonable return which
the company shall be afforded
the opportunity Of earning.
fThe bill omitS the following
language suggested by the Dis.
trict Commissioners. Provided
that such rate Of return can bC
achieved on the basis Of reason.
able rates Of fare and reasonable
levels OF service as determined
by the Public Utilities Com
mission
Exemption Provided
g. Exempt the company from
the city's gross receipts tax which
last year cost CTC S42l Dol anc
from the District bus mileage
tax, which was combined with
the.gross receipts tax last year.
TO- Exempt the company con.
ditlonally from the motor vehicle
fuel tax charged by the District
Last year. this cost the company
S3484l6.
H. Exempt the company from
costs of removing. sanding
sailing treating or handling
snow on the streets of the Dis
tr1ct Of Columbia. except that
the Capital Transit Company
shall sweep the streetcar tracks
at It's own expense This pro-
vision, Nh Harris said. Is still
subject to technical rewriting.
II Require the company "tC
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