Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-03-13
AMENDMENTS PROPOSED
Racine Attorney Says lie Roy Meas
ure VIII Work Hardship on corpo<
for Water Company-Alderhan
Rowey Appears as Friend of Bill.
Madison. March

atiyes appeared, three against the
measure and one in favor OF H.. All
proposed amendments more or sss
radical the opponents for the most
part suggesting changes that would
limit and restrict the operation of
the law, and the one friend proposing
an amendment to establish control
in part by city councils.
+. NJ kearney of bacine represented
the water companies of Racine, She
boygan and Marinette. He was o.
the opinion that the Law would work
hardship and injustice upon vested
/ interests If it were 10 be enacted in
its present form and lac suggested
amendments TO the bill in the event.
;i,at the COMMITTEES saw fit to make
favorable report upon it. He Told
OF the many cases in which local La
mons Of these service corporations
made unreasonable demands upon
the corporations and the courts. had
stepped in and preserved the rights
| Of the corporations. Here he was
interrupted 10y Snator Lockney with
a request please 10 cite US some of
those cases" Mr.. Kearney said he
would gladly do so. He reserved the
! privilege. however, to cite the cases
in the form OF brie to be later sub
mitted TO the committee
One of the suggestions made by
F.. Mr.. Kearnev was that it Is unwise
! and dangerous for the legi lauure 10
repose in d commission established
for the purpose of supervising and
! regulating freight and passenger bus
ness Of railroad companies, the power
| of supervising and regulating sucn
{ domestic" services as the furnish
ing of gas water and light He re-
/ ierred to the supplying of water as
I a kitchen" business, and said that
i Il would not be proper in his opinion
TO mix "kitchen" business with rail-
road affairs Another leading suggas.
ton made by Mr.. Kearney was that
! the rights of the corporations should
! he carefully safeguarded, He ex
! pressed q great fear that irresponsl-
| BILE citizens. without reason or griey.
! ance, would put the corporations 10
+ exI ense and Inconvenience by maxi
j stantial grievance He would amen
the bin to provide that all com
plants against a public service cor
loration he made by the municipality
in whie!: = situated the corporation
pre- ferty ana activity If the right
to make COMPLAINT were restricted TO
the city in such case. according 10
the reasoning of Mr.. Kearney, no
suth complaint was likely to be
: made. He wculd have the law safe
; guard the corporation against an
expense in case a complaint upon be-
/ ing investigated should be found I'M
warranted. he would make the com.
| lainant ray the costs in case the
complaint was denied by the commits
sion after investigation He declared
| that the state at large had no inter
est in these matters They were 10
cal matters he said, and the state
al large ought not to lie burdened
with the expense Of Investigations
made at the request OF one citizen.
ln1presses Committee.
K, F. Wilcox OF Eau Claire, repre-.
sentipg he Eau Claire Electric Light
4 Power Co, made an argument that
seemed &c imptes the committees
He declared that until he state lad
given 20 these corporations the power
Ia exercise eminent domain and Jake
by con domination proceedings sucn
property as they desired to acquire
the aae IS The railroads have The
rover TO eminent domain. The stare
had no more authority over hesc
corporations than over the ordinary
business enterprise
George T., Lines OF Milwaukee,
n ember OF the law irm OF Quarles,
Spence & Lines, also appeared in OPP
position to the bill and proposed like
wise various amendments.
Service Poor and Charges Unfair.
Alderman l.. +. Rowley Of Madison,
member Of the common council, al
dressed the committees in behalf -
the bill He related experiences
with the company here, told how 1t
was believed that the service was
200. and the charges unfair. exhorb-
liant and unlawful how the citizens
and common council joined 10 get an
Investigation aud we're not allowed
~ the company TO procure such
reeded information az could be had
IT, an examination Of the books and
accounts of the corporation. how the
case was taken TO the supreme court
and hGw that BODY had declared IN
Effect hat before the citizens couli
get redress or relief from the Goa
ditions complained Of the legislature
would have to provide legal machln
cry. He mentioned many instances
Of the large powers Of these corpor
atious under their favorable fran
chises and told In how many IN
stances the city councils found itself
without remedy 10 bring the corpor
atoms 70 reason. Alderman Rowley
proposed some amendments to make
the hin more effective, as he thought