Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-02

day before considering legisla-
lion to have the system taken
over by q publicly owned
authority.
Specifically, the postpone
ment was ordered to let ]. VIII
liam Stempil, counsel for the
Washington Rapid Transit Eys-
tenn, Inc. produce concrete eyi-
dence" Of his alleged deal on
behalf Of local investors to buy
control Of etc from Louis e.
Wolfson, Florida multimillion-
aire and principal stockholder Of
the company. II Congress win
renew the company's operating
franchise.
Also, however, the committee
invited any other would-be pri-
vate operator Of the Washington
transit system to come In next
Wednesday and offer his prop
osition.
Mr.. Stempil told the commit
tee the same story he has re-
peatedly told the utilities COM
mission and others-that he
represents q group prepared tc
buy out the Wolfson interests
in CTC and that 100000 Il
available as q showing Of good
faith.
Considered Display
To prove this, Mr.. Stempil
said, he and his hackers had
considered - but rejected -
plan to put 100000 dollar bills
in q laundry basket and take
them into the committee room
No cash was In evidence yes
terday.
Although Chairman George e
C. Hayes Of the Public Utilities
Commission said "Mr. Stempi
has talked that same thing tc
me for q couple Of months,
without producing any concrete
evidence. the committee asked
him to interview Mr.. Stempil
again next Tuesday and report
on Wednesday when Mr.. Stem.
Pill is to reappear before the
committee.
Mr.. Stempil insisted he had
been unable to disclose this
names Of his hackers to the
commission for fear of violating
the confidential relationship be.
tween a lawyer and his clients
He offered. however. to show .
letter to the committee II the
members agreed to keep It con.
fldential. but then asked fol
time to .'think about it" anc
consult the writer Of the letter
Mr.. Stempil asked for the
weeks delay as q reasonable
time" in which to get permits
sion from his hackers to dis
close their identities.
He complained that the utili-
ties commission had never clearly
spelled out its requirements OF
declared, for example, Put q
million dollars on the line and
we1l go to Congress with a
recommendation for q fran
chise."
Mr.. Hayes insisted the COM
mission he'd "set no standards
IN looking for a private operator
that it would have considered
and that 1t "tried tc
get anybody to bring US any
thing concrete"
This. Mr.. Hayes insisted, the
commission had been unable 10
get from Mr.. Stempil.
And. said Brig. Gen. Thomas
A. Lane. Engineer Commissioner
"The commission has been wait
ing since October 10 tdeadline
for filing Of applications by
would-be private operators for
him to do what you are asking
him to do"
Mr.. Stempil took the witness
stand after District Commits
sioner Samuel Spencer and Mr.
Hayes had spelled out In detail
their fruitless efforts to find a
satisfactory private operator to
take over the transit sysem next
is.
One Hopeful Answer
Senator Bible, Democrat of
asked if there had been
any change" since the city
heads formally gave UP their
search last December 80 and got
the only hopeful answer of the
lay.
"The only thing Of which I
am aware" said Gen. Lane, is