CORPORATIONS HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SEVENTIETH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. J. Res. 276 APRIL 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30; MAY 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, AND 8, 1928 MERGER OF STREET RAILWAY CORPORATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Friday, April 20, 1928. The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Frederick N. Zihlman (chairman) presiding. Present: Messrs. McLeod, Gibson, Bowles, Lampert, Jenkins, Blanton, Gilbert, Hammer, and Cole. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. This meeting is called for the consideration of House Joint Resolu tion 276. I will insert at this point a copy of the resolution. (The resolution is as follows:) [H. J. Res. 276, Seventieth Congress, first session] JOINT RESOLUTION To authorize the merger of street railway corporations operating in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That pursuant to the act entitled "An act to permit the merger of street railway corporations operating in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes," approved March 4, 1925, the formation of a new corporation to be known as the Capital Transit Company to acquire properties and/or stocks or securities and to succeed to the powers and obligations of the Capital Traction Company and to succeed to the powers and obligations of the Washington Railway and Electric Company directly connected with, or relating to, the operation of electric railways, motor busses, and/or other forms of public transportation, having been provided for by certain unification agreement on terms and conditions agreed upon by vote of more than a majority in amount of the stock of the respective corporations and approved by the Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia on April 13, 1928, such unification in accordance with said agreement dated as of April 7, 1928, and each and every of the provisions therein, be and the same are hereby ratified and approved, and said Capital Transit Company, when organized under the provisions of Subchapter IV, Chapter XVIII of the Code of Laws of the District of Columbia, shall have all the powers, benefits, and obligations expressed in said unification agreement, approved as aforesaid, and that the Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia be and is hereby authorized and directed to do all such acts and things as may be necessary or appropriate on its part to carry out the provisions of said agreement and of this resolution. SEC. 2. That all provisions of law making it incumbent upon any streetrailway company to bear the expense of policemen at street-railway crossings and intersections, the laying of new pavement, the making of permanent improvements, renewals, or repairs to the pavement of streets and public bridges, and the permanent improvements, renewals, or repairs to public bridges over which the street-car lines operate, are hereby repealed, such repeal to be effective on the date the unification herein authorized becomes operative: Provided, That the Capital Transit Company herein provided for shall bear the entire cost of paving repairs or replacements incident to track repairs, replacements, or changes made at a time when the street or bridge is not being paved, and shall bear one-fourth the cost of other paving, repaving, or maintenance of paving between its tracks and for two feet outside the outer rails, and shall bear the excess cost of construction and maintenance of public bridges due to the existence or installation of its tracks on such bridges: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall relieve said Capital Transit Company from liability for street paving as owner of real estate apart from rights of way occupied by its tracks, as provided by section 8 of the act of Congress entitled 1 |