Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-08
DC. Officials Rush
Work on Transit Bill
Hope to Finish
Measure By
Next Friday

Investment bankers and Dis
trict officials drafting a transit
authority legislation will meet
here at 10 am. Wednesday in an
effort to complete bill for Con-
eress by Friday.
This was disclosed last night
by Public Utilities Commissioner
Robert M. Weston, Immediately
after his return from a two and
y half day conference in New
York.
81 He and Assistant Engineer
commissioner Thaddeus M. No
SEX met there Thursday, Friday
and Saturday morning with rep
resentatives of the nationwide
investment banking firm Of
Blyth q Co., Inc. and plan to
resume the session this week.
Acting for the banking house
were Walter Cleave, Chicago vice
president who helped set up the
Cleveland and Chicago transit
authorities, and Portland Merrill.
Of Blyth's New York ONCE. Coun-
sci for the firm was John A.
Mitchell, of the law firm Of Cald-
well, Marshall. Trimble g. Mitch
ell, lis Broadway, New York.
Lane Airs Views
Meanwhile, Engineer Commits
sioner Thomas A. Lane said he
thought 1t would be necessary toI
ask Congress to pass the transit
authority bill itself, waiting un-
til later to consider expanding
1t into an overall authority which
also could operate airports. park
ing facilities and other projects.
He made the statement on
Report to the People" over
Radio Station WWDC in discuss
ing proposal by Representative
Broyhill. Republican Of Virginia.
Plans for the transit authority
proper, it was learned. have been
altered to call for director by a.
seven-member board Of commits
sioners instead of the three
member group proposed orig
inally.
Compensation Nominal"
The change, 1t was understood,
was required to facilitate financ-
ing by giving the board more
continuity and stability. Also.
compensation is to be merely
nominal"
Gen. Lane praised Mr.. Broy-
hills proposed bill, slated to be
introduced in the House this
week, as quite in line with sound
practice as developed in other
areas. particularly New York.
But he noted that Mr.. BroyhillI
had indicated the completely of
planning an overall authority, !
and that the local authority
could not stand q long wait and
probably would have to be ham
died separately.
Broadened Authority Seen
II the local bill il passed, i'll
might be- possible to broaden i'll
or supplement it to the scope
proposed by Mr.. Broyhill, Gen.
Lane said.
Mr.. Broyhill hopes to be able
to introduce the area measure I'M
the House this week.
The District Commissioners,
who have not been able to find
q private operator to take over
the dying Capital Transit Co.
franchise, ARE having legislation
drafted for setting up a transit
authority to run the system
starting August Is.
A preliminary draft is being
written by Blyth g. Co, Inc, in
,yestment banking firm. and is
expected to be received by the
city heads this week.
Streetcar Cost Discussed
Gen. Lane also discussed the
question of streetcar obsoles-
cence. He said that the cost is
the fundamental issue and that
the reported cost per vehicle
mile OF operating streetcars is
about so per cent greater than
that of similar bus service.
THE significance of these
comparative costs is that street
car riders are not paying their
way today in the District" he
said. IF fares we're actually
charged in relation to the cost
of the service provided, it would
be appropriate to have a 30 cent
fare on streetcars while charging
20 cents on buses"