Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-19
Fast Action Sought
On Two Transit Bills
House, Senate
Measures Have
Opposite Goals


House and Senate committee
stats today raced to process dia-
Imetrically opposed bills to solve
Washington's transit crisis.
The Senate District Commit
tee, acting yesterday in a two
hour afternoon session, approved
by voice vote a measure to set
up a publicly-owned transit au-
thority to take over the Capital
Transit Co. when, under present
legislation, its franchise and
charter are scheduled to die on
August IA.
On the other side of Capitol
Hill. the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee,
acting by voice vote in a half
hour morning session, approved
bill to give the company new
franchise and keep it in business.
In the Senate, Chairman Nicely
of the District Committee fore
cast it would be two or three
weeks before the authority bill
would come up on the floor for
debate.
Quick Action Sought
In the House, Chairman Priest
of the Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee said he
would act as quickly as pos
sible" to get Rules Committee
approval for House floor debate
of the franchise restoration.
Veteran observers predicted this
might come as early as next
week.
The Senate committee session
was highlighted by an attack on
the restoration plan by Senator
Morse, Democrat of Oregon, who
said he was disappointed" in
the House proposal. He insisted
Congress had Cancelled the etc
franchise last summer during a
52-day transit strike because the
operators were lust not worthy
of a franchise" And, he said.
II have no intention of walking
down the hill"
He was Joined in criticism of
the etc management under the
controlling ownership of Louis
E. Wolfson. Florida multi
millionaire, by Senator Nicely,
who recalled Mr.. Wolfsons re-
fusal to bargain with the striking
union on the grounds that the
company had no earnings with
which to do so. 1T seems to me
that company that takes that
position is not worth much con-
sideration," he said.
Mcnamara Joins Attack
The attack on the Wolfson
management was Joined by Sen
ator Mcnamara, Democrat Of
Michigan, chairman of the sub
committee which drafted the
authority bill on an interim"
basis.
He replied with an explosive
mo" when asked by Senator
Hruska, Republican of Nebraska,
if the subcommittee had consid-
cred extending to "the presen0
transit company" the tax relief
and other concessions contained
in the House bill.
Senator Mcnamara pointed
out that his subcommittee had
before it only the authority bill.
and added: I'm very much
prejudiced against the present
operators and am very much for
seeing them get out August IA"
Later. in voting to send the
authority measure to the Senate
floor, Senator Hruska warned
that he may prefer to support
the restoration measure if the
House can produce a satisfac-
tory measure.
Similarly. Senator Allott, Re
publican of Colorado, gave no.
tice he was reserving freedom to
act as he sect fit on the Senate
floor.
WOIfsOn Record AssaiIed
Driving home his attack on
the Wolfson management, Sem
ator Morse declared "Mr. Wolf
son takes the position that the
stockholders come first, not the
public. He has no conception
of the primary obligation of a
public utility. The mulcting
record of the Wolfson crowd is
all I need to refuse to re-estab-
lish the franchise"
He called the history of Wolf
son management record Of
financial piracy against the pub
lic," and insisted They propose
to raise the fares to the last
half-cent when what we ought
to be doing is thinking about
trying to lower them
Senator Morse said the only
answer is a temporary public
authority" although he warned
he is suspicious it will become
permanent" because the transit
industry is a declining one.
Sale Is Provided
AS approved, the authority
would operate for three years
under control of the District
Commissioners. who would be
authorized to sell it to any salts
factory private operator. After
that the authority would auto
matically become permanent.
The committee. at the sug-
gestion of Senator Hruska,
amended the bill to require the
Commissioners TO report after
two years Ito show cause" why
they have not sold the system.
Senator Hruska said many
members Of Congress had voted
to kill the etc franchise on
assurance of the Commissioners
that many satisfactory private
operators would be eager to take
over the system He declared.