Evening star., 1963-02-05
Transit Clears GSA
EntryInto FareCase
Action Could
End Recess
In Hearings

A Metropolitan Area Transit
commission official said today
that d. c. Transit has agreed to
withdraw its objections TO inter-
vention by General Services Ad-
ministration in the commls-
sion's fare hearings.
Albert Sklar. the Maryland
representative on the three
man commission, said that this
action by d. c. Transit coulo
lead to a prompt lifting Of a
court order which has now
halted the fare hearings.
Mr.. Sklar said that the COM
mission was advised today that
an agreement had been reached
between GSA and d. c. Transit.
Under this arrangement, Mr..
Sklar said, d. C System Transit
will withdraw its objection to
entry Of GSA into the fare case
and GSA then will ask the
United States Court of Appeals
to dismiss its stay order.
Court Order Issued
The court had issued its Or
der yesterday so that 1t could
have time TO rule on an appeal
by GSA that it be permitted TO
intervene in the fare hearing.
Mr.. Sklar said that as q re-
suit of the new attitude by D. C.
Transit 1t may be possible for
the MATC to resume the fare
hearings at 9:30 am. tomor-
row.
I'VE are very happy this
matter now seems to have been
resolved" said Mr.. Sklar.
d. c. Transit is seeking 10
eliminate the 20 cent token
fare for a straight IS cent fare.
Imposition Of the present rs
cent fare in March, 1860, was
called unjustified last Thurs
day by the Court Of Appeals.
Intervention Blocked
In the present proceedings,
the commission twice refused
to permit intervention by GSA
on the grounds that the ad-
ministration had filed its in
tervention request too late un-
der commission regulations.
The Government claims that
1t is a proper party to the
hearings because 1t purchases
large quantities of tokens for
its employees and because It has
an interest in local traffic con-
ditionS. GSA also denies the
late filing.
The commission agrees that
the Government is a proper
party to the hearing but con-
tends that GSA has no good
cause" to justify the tardy ap-
plication for intervention.
Commission and Government
attorneys argued the case yes
terday afternoon before the
court. The court. in granting
the stay. said the fare hear
ings were barred pending a de-
termination Of whether the
GSA should be allowed to in
tervene. A hearing was set for
10 am. Monday on the inter-
vention petition.
Effective In April
d. c. Transit announced the
proposed fare increase on De.
cember 4. II the commission
approves, the new rate Is sched-
uled' to take effect on April 4.
Russell Cunningham, commits
sion general counsel, said. He
added that GSA Intervention at
this date would delay the hear
ings and possibly affect the i'm
position date of the fare. The
Circuit judges who heard the
arguments and issued the stay
order were Judges j. Skelly
Wright, Wilbur X. Miller, and
Walter M. Bastian.
Meanwhile, there was no in
dication Of what remedies nigh
be proposed to the Appeals
Court TO carry out its opinion
that the 1860 fare order be set
aside. in so far as 1t increased
the cash fare TO rs cents.
The District Public Utilities
Commission. which approved
this increase. met yesterday
with representatives Of the COM
pany and the two transit riders
who brought about the sue
cessful court challenge TO the
~ - =