The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-18
PUBLICUTTLITIESBTL
COMMISSION OF THREE Is
GIVEN WIDE POWERS.
To Supervise All Lighting, Heat, Power
Water, Sewer, Telephone and Street
Railway Companies.

OF IflE EtIl11Gs IL tpAA III 1AiG 2E'A AAAAt
Extra of the EVENING STAR. 1t viii
be taken up when the Senate rect;
next Wednesday.
The text of the bill is as follows:
An act creating n Public Utilities Com,
mission and prescribing It's powers anu
duties.
Assembly of the State of New Jersey.
/. The Governor shall, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, appoint
three persons, citizens of this state over
the age of thirty years, TO constitute Q
commission to be known as the PUBLIC
Utilities Commission TO exercise and per
form the power and duties hereinafter
q. The terms of office OF the commission.
ers first appointed shall commence on th9
1st day OF November, 1907. One OF said
commissioners shall be appointed for tbs
term of two years, one for the term OF
four years and one for the term OF six
years; and at the expiration of their re-
spective terms. a successor shaI be ap,,
pointed for the, term, OF six years Al
Vacancies caused by death. resignation OF
otherwise. during the recess of the Legis-
lature, shall be filled by the Governor,
until the converting of the next Legislature,
when a successor shall be appointed by the
Governor. by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, to hold office for the
u~nexpired term of the office vacated by
death, resignation or otherwise. The mem
bers Of said commission shall each receive
an annual compensation of 5000, to be
paid In equal monthly installments by the
1IEd6iItI VI lAt Af1A1 oh AAAI -
the Comptroller.
3. The said commission shall organize
by the election of a president from among
its members. and shall appoint a secre-
tary. to hold office at the pleasure of the
commission and to receive a salary OF
1900 per annum, payable out of the
the Comptroller; two inspectors Zone of
whom shall be a civil engineer and the
other a mechanical or electrical ex-
peril, and such other clerical and
expert help as nay be necessary,
and fix their duties and conn
pensation. Said inspectors, clerical and
expert help. shall hold their office at the
pleasure of the commission and shall re-
ceive such compensation for their services
as shall be prescribed by said commission,
which compensation shall be paid out OF
the treasury of this State on the warrant
of the Comptroller on vouchers approved
by. the president and one other member
L. No member. officer, or employee of
said board shall have any official relation
or connection with or hold any stock or
bond lD any corporation subject to the pro-
visions of this act, nor hold any other
Office of profit or trust under the govern
ment of this State or of the United
States.
8. The said commission shall nave an
office in the State House in the city of
Trenton and shall meet at such times and
places within this State as 1t may by
commission shall make all necessary rules
for its government and shall adopt a
common seal. The total expenses of the
commission, including the salaries and
expense of the embers Of the COM
mission, the salaries and expenses of the
secretary, inspectors, clerical and expert
help. shall not exceed the sum of thirty
thousand dollars per annum.
6. The secretary shall AVE the custody
of the common seal, and shall keep full
and accurate minutes of all the trans
actions and proceedings of said commits
sion. and shall exercise and perform such
other duties as shall be prescribed by said
commission.
Z. The said commission shall have gen.
eral supervision of all gas, oil, electric,
light. heat, power, water, sewer, telephone,
telegraph and street railway corporations
operating within this State, and their
plants, mains, conduits, pole lines, pipe
lines, tracks and equipment.
5. Said commission shall have power,
by subpoena issued by said commission,
signed by its president, attested by the
secretary with the seal of said commits
sion affixed thereto, to compel the at
tendance of witnesses and the production
of contracts. papers,. books, accounts. and
all other documents. Two members OF
said commission shall constitute a quorum,
and any member of said commission may
administer oaths to witnesses who may
be called before said commission. Any
person who shall wilfully give false testi-
mony before said commission shall be
guilty of a mlsdemeanor and punishable
as such. and, upon conviction, be disquali-
fled from being a witness In any action
VI DTOtttNiIik III dtJ CChiN III raw VI
equity In this State.
9. In case any person shall disobey tbs
command of any subpoena Issued by said
commission, the said commission may
under the rand of its president. report
such fact to one of the justices of the
Supreme Court. who shall thereupon ISSUE
n warrant for the apprehension of said per
son, and upon the production of the body
of the person so d~isobeying. shall inquire
into the cause of such disobedience, and
IL no sufficient cause be shown for sucf
dfeohpdianpp the said iugtiCp shall
have power by n commitment. Is
sued Under his hard and addressed to tbs
in which such Justice may be sitting {
hear such matter, to direct that the SAID
witness be confined in said common if
until he shall purge himself OF such dis
10 Whenever an accident shall Occur
upon any property owned. operated or con
provisions of this act. such corporation
shall give such notice thereof to said com
mission as the said commission by rule
or resolution shall prescribe. Said commits
sion is hereby authorized, whenever M
accident shall occur on the property OF any
corporation so as aforesaid owned. oper'
ated, or controlled within this State, II, In
its Judgment. the public interests so re-
duire, to cause an Investigation of such ac-
cident TO be forthwith made, which inves'
~tigation shall, If the commission shall SC
determine. be held in the locality where the
said accident occurred. and the said inves-
tigation may be adjourned from time Il
time ana TO shtn pace " pldNNS rs NV
said commission may deem proper. Said
commission shall notify one or more oil
the officers of any corporation upon whose
property an accident has occurred OF tht
time and place of the first meeting Of sale
commission to investigate said accident
which notice shall he given In writing and
either mailed, registered. TO said officer OF
officers or served upon said officer oil
officers personally or by leaving at theil
usual place OF abode or office within thii
State, at least FIVE days prior TO the date
OF the first meeting of the said commission
The said commission shall not. however
place of any adjourned meeting, but upoI
the adjournment OF the first meeting, shall
announce the time and place of the pro
posed adjourned meeting.
II. Said commission shall inquire into thu
condition and operation of all corporations
subject to the provisions of this act, ant
shall examine complaints touching rates
rebates, charges, or demands for any
service rendered by any such corporation
and all determinations in service RENDERED
In the transportation of persons or prop
all matters relating to the operation, con
dition and affairs of n such corporation
Said commission shall make such recon
mendations in writing 10 any such eorpor
alton as it may deem proper, touching III
Improvement of its service, the bettermen
of its condition and affairs, or for an,
other purpose contemplated by this act
and shall annually, on or before the frs
day in January in each year after IN
year zoos. report to the Governor or TN
state, which report shall be laid before tn
next LEGISLATURE. Said commission shall
when requested so to do by the 1nterstat
Gommprce Commission of the Unite