Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-29

AASAS c0Au Al OAhS0SV POAASJ man
the patience of people trying to
work it out" he added.
Report Asked Monday
He and his fellow conferees
have asked the District Commits
sioners to report back at 2:30
pm. Monday with a firm pro-
posal" from some bidder who
Twill accept the approved "cri-
terra" and who can make a deal
with Capital Transit.
Mr.. Harris warned that undue
delay may lead to congressional
passage of some version of the
Senate-approved bill to set UP a
publicly-owned transit authority
with power to condemn CTC
equipment. And. he pointed out,
this would leave etc facing a
bill of up to $11 billion as the
cost of tearing up its Streetcar
tracks and repaving the streets.
The etc directors acted yes
Iterday after assurance from
President j. A. B. Broadwater
land Edmund L. Jones. CTC gen.
Ieral counsel. that the National
City Lines contract would be
valid and binding until August
IA, when CTC is scheduled to
go out of business.
At the same time, representa-
ltives of National City Lines
started for their home Office in
Chicago. repeatedly to consult
on whether to meet the approved
criteria or drop the etc deal.
Late yesterday E. Roy Fitz-
gerald. president of National
City Lines, said in Chicago that
he had not yet conferred with
his representatives from WASH
lington.
/ He said any decision would
nave to be made by National
IClty's board of directors and
that there probably won't be
ANY rush" about such meeting.
This comment brought a blast
from o. Roy Chalk, president of
Trans Caribbean Always, Inc.
lof New York, who suggested that
District officials seek declatofy
Judgment from the courts to void
the National City Lines contract
in the public interest. He said
THE Commissioners ought to
force somebody's Manufacturer
Capital Transit's or National
City's."
Asks Conditional Acceptance
He said he had asked etc for
a conditional acceptance of his
offer to buy out the company
on the chance that National City
might abandon its deal. If he
gets such an acceptance, Mr..
Chalk said, he will gamble and
order a start on legal prelim-
inaries to a formal purchase.
He demanded that Capital
Transit make a decision now
which would avoid tying I'D the
city" and give a conditional ac-
ceptance either to him or to Mr..
Solomon.
Also. he contended, under its
contract with etc, National City
Lines could abandon its request
for a franchise and simply dis
tribute CTC's buses among the
A cities in which it operates
transit lines.
Describing California Eastern
Aviation'S franchise requests.
Mr.. Solomon said they had
dropped the idea of asking for
a stipulated rate of return and
felt we would rely on a repre-
sentation that the rate (of fare)
would be fair and reasonable"
He said he was asking only for
the same tax relief agreed upon
by the Commissioners. After
leaving a copy of his proposal
with the city heads, he said, "If
the terms do not meet with their
approval, we would like to dis
cuss them"
No Labor Troubles
And, he said, California East
ern has never had any trouble"
in dealing with the labor union
with which it has contracts on
the West Coast.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed
that Col. Thaddeus M. Nosek,
Assistant Engineer Commission
ler. acting for Brig. Gen. Thomas
"A. Lane, had abstained from the
Commissioners recommendation
that Congress approve a franz
Ichise for the Chalk-Fox group.
He said he could not "recom~
mend that Congress grant a
franchise to anyone not having
the facilities to provide the serv-
ice required under the terms Of
the franchise, when such action
would eliminate from considera-
ton other potential operators
who would accept franchise
containing provisions that are
acceptable to the Commissioners
and who might acquire the facil-
tiles necessary to fulfill the
terms Of the franchise"
Also. despite pleas that the
Commissioners and Congress re-
fuse to grant a franchise to Ma
tional City Lines even If 1t ac-
cepts the franchise terms. Col.
Nosek declared:
Il do recommend. however.
that Congress grant franchise
to anyone who is willing TO ae-
cept the conditions that are
satisfactory to the District OF
Columbia Board of Commission
ers and who will have the facil-
tiles to provide mass transporta-
ton service starting August is,
1856, to replace that now fur
nished by Capital Transit Co."