Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-09-03
Transit-Sightseeing
Issue Given PUG.
House Group
Coils for SpIitin
Chalk Operation
BY JAMES G. DEANE
star star Writer


star star Writer
The House Interstate Com.
nerce Committee today in eff
fect tossed the problem Of deal
ing with complaints against
D. C. Transit Systems charter
and sightseeing activity to the
Public Utilities Commission.
The committee ordered ia
vorably reported q bill spori-
sored by Representative Rogers.
Democrat Of Texas, to require
the severing Of the transit
firms mass transit and charter
sightseeing operations.
But Chairman Harris said
the bill may not 60 to the
House floor before adjourn
ment and that the p. u. c. will
be asked to make a formal In
vestigation Of the controversial
arter-sightseeing question
The Arkansas Democrat said
the committee is preparing a
memorandum critical Of
P. u. C. failure to make such
a study and adopt appropriate
controls already.
Ask January Report
The P. U. c., he said, will
be called upon to report on its
investigation not later than
January.
The Rogers bill stipuIateS
that D. c. Transit,s mass
transportation equipment and
employees could be used only
for mass transit. It would
leave to the p. U. C. the set
ting of whatever regulations
are required for accomplishing
this separation, however.
Transit officials have vigor.
ously opposed the bill. Com
peting buslines, both mass
transit and sightseeing, have
strongly urged the legislation,
contending that the o. Roy
Chalk company enjoys unfair
advantages because Of gas tax
exemptions and other special
privileges now allowed under
the transit charter granted BY
Congress.
Williams Group Split
Mr.. Harris said the subcorn.
mittee, headed by Represent
alive Williams. Democrat Of
Mississippi. which conducted
hearings on the Rogers bill,
split sharply In handling the
measure to the full committee.
He did not disclose the exact
lineup Of the subcommittee or
Of the full committee. although
he also disclosed that a ''rela-
lively small minority" Of thu
full committee dissented from
today's committee action.
A lengthy memorandum
handed to the committee dis
missed complaints that D. C.
Transit tax exemptions are un-
fair, saying the tax benefit
was relatively unimportant.
The memorandum also crit
icized the Rogers bill as too
drastic, calling its outright
severance Of mass transit and
sightseeing operations "arbt-
trary and harsh"
The memorandum also de,
clared that transit companies
generally. including d. c. Trah-
sits competitors and its prede-
cessor, the old Capital Transit
Co., have long engaged in sight
seeing and charter operations
employing mass transportation
personnel and equipment. =
p. U. C. Criticized
The memo questioned wheth-
er the Rogers bill should ac-
tually be enacted. But it
pointedly criticized the P. U. c..
asserting that the p. U. C. has
the power to remedy the COM
plants against the Chalk hrin,
even though 1t has failed to
do so.
Mr.. Harris said the memo
expressed his viewpoint in this
regard. He said the committee
feels the P. U. c. is wrong in
contending that 1t does not
have necessary authority to act,
and he said the commission, in
the committees view, has not
done its duty.
Mr.. Williams expressed the
same opinion. He noted that
the p. U. C. has not taken any
steps to regulate sightseeing
operations and fees and that
the commission will be told to
take whatever steps are neces.
sary to end any unfair advan.
tages enjoyed by the Chalk
firm.
The District Commissioners
have urged the committee to
amend the transit charter to
clarity the situation. but the
memorandum prepared for the
Harris committee said this did
not seem to be necessary.