Evening star., 1960-08-24
Senate Unit Votes
Area Transit Bill
House Changes
Kept Intact
By Committee
By GRACE BASSETT
Star Stan Writer

SldT StdH WTIleE
The Senate Judiciary Com
mittee today reported House.
passed legislation allowing the
District to enter into an agree
ment with Maryland and Vir-
ginia to regulate Washington
Metropolitan Area tranSporta-
ton through a new commission.
If cleared by Congress, the
measure would represent the
elimination of 10 years work
to help unity regional transit
regulation control. A Senate
vote may be expected next
week.
The Senate committee re-
tanned House amendments to
the compact proposal as passed
by Maryland and Virginia Leg
islatures. Two major changes
provide:
That Congress shall have
access to all records of the
regulatory commission. This
safeguard stemmed from House
discomfort with the Port of New
York Authority for failing to
furnish Congress it's books.
Three port officials were cited
for contempt of Congress by a
House vote yesterday.
That transportation from
outside the Metropolitan Area
to point inside the region be
exempt from the metro COM
missions jurisdiction. The
commission would have three
years in which to make these
exemptions. If it failed to do
so, the Interstate Commerce
c ON ission automatically
would take tbe responsibility
for their regulation. Under
this proviso, cross-country and
Eastern seaboard lines still
would be subject to interstate
regulation by the Federal Com
mission.
Not in State Bills
Language of both amend
ments was not included in the
compact measures adopted by
Maryland and Virginia Legis-
latures. State spokesmen at
congressional hearings indi-
Gated they were willing to
negotiate the compact with
these restrictions, however.
That means that the States
and the District may enter
into a compact under the con-
ditions approved by Congress.
If they fail to meet those con-
ditions, they may not enter
into the compact because it
will not have congressional
sanction.
The metropolitan compact
was recommended as a first
step in developing an efficient
w aShington transportation
system by a $500,000 congress
sional transportation survey.
1t is aimed at centralizing reg
ulation to overcome barriers
imposed by State. county, city
and District boundaries.
. Agency I'd Step
The second step contem-
plates the functioning of an
other Washington tranSporta-
ton agency. just approved by
Congress and the President, to
| develop az transportation plan.
This plan calls for introduc-
tion of express bus service on
all new radial freeways as they
are completed and Inaugural
ton at least by 1910 of a rapid
transit service.
A House Appropriations Sub
committee is due to act today
on a $500,000 request to finance
the agency which is charged
with developing and eventually
operating transportation
system.
The Senate reported proposal
would clear the way for crea-
tion by compact of a commits
sion limited to regulatory func-
tions. 1t would take over the
Job now handled by the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commis-
sion, the Virginia Corporation
Commission and the Maryland
Public Service Commission for
interstate lines.
The new regulatory unit
would encourage privately
owned and operated carriers to
continue in existence under the
. compact language approved by
= the House and reported to the
Senate.
The commission would have
\ three members, one appointed
by the Virginia Governor, an
other by the Maryland Gov
ernor and the third by the
= Board of Commissioners. Each
signatory government is to pay
e its commissioner the salary il
S deems appropriate.