Evening star., 1907-11-13
RECULAT|ONOF ROADS
Action by Legislation This
Winter Looked For.
NEW YORK LAW THE MODEL
Efforts in New jersey, the Home Of
the Trusts.
JAPANESE IMPERIAL PEsCRIPT
Recent Translation of a Message Of
the Mikado to His Subjects on
the Duties OF Citizens.
JAPANESE IMPERIAL PEsCRIPI
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
From irsorma ton received here = Is
evident that there VIII De an epidemic of
railway regulation legislation in the va
rious legislatures throughout the United
States during the coming winter. Last
winter there was an epidemic of two
cent-a mile fare laws The New York
public utilities law. for which Gov.
Hughes IS responsible and which IS very
sweeping in its provisions, is likely to be
used a model The officials OF the
New York public services commission tell
me that they have been deluged with in
auiries for information and applications
for copies of the law from every corner
of the country. and the fact that the rail-
way managers in New York have ac-
Cepted the extreme forms of regulations
provided In that law will be used as an
unanswera BILE argument against any op-
position that may be raised elsewhere
An attempt was made to pass public
utilities la for New Jersey during the
recent session of the Legislature of that
state. which indicates In a striking man
ner the prevailing tendency TO govern
ment regulation of corporations and the
readiness with which the corporations
BILE. Ii is assumed by the managers of
the great corporations here that the New
York law. which 7 have told you before
was written and put through the legisla
ture by Gov. Hughes, will be duplicated
by all the states OF the Union within Inc
next few years. State regulation is ac-
cepted as certainty and also the
most rational method Of solving the
transport alton problem.
Regulation in New Jersey.
New Jersey the home of the trusts. has
been considered corporation ridden
state. Its limited area is pretty well oc-
cupied by railway tracks; its limited pop
ulation has long been very largely en-
ployed by the railways and by large in
dustral corporations; It's laws have been
SO liberal that a majority of the great
trusts have been organized under them
and large Office building in Jersey City
is occupied as the headquarters Of nu-
merous big corporations which are opar-
ating across the river in New York city
and in other parts of the country. The
laws regulating acts of Incorporation re-
Quire that an office shall be maintained
in the state Of New jersey. and in abedi-
ence to this requirement this building is
filled with them. Some companies have
room to themselves, but in many cases
the same room Is occupied by a dozen or
more companies. and they are all repre-
Sente1 ny one man. VINO hoidS down the
Office furniture and keeps the room swept
and busted for the annual meetings of
stockholders which must be held there |
In the lower hall Of this building 10 a
directory OF the occupants containing the
names Of hundreds Of corporations in |
Guiding some of the most important In
the country.
Both political parties In New Jersey
made a public utilities law for the regula- |
tion of corporations the most conspicu |
Gus feature of their platforms in the re-
cent campaign, and the members of both |
parties in the legislature we're pledged to
vote for II. Without exec ption they obeyed |
and the bin passed both
houses, but it failed in con ference because |
of differences concerning details. The |
chief point of dispute was the manner in |
which the commissioners should be ap- |
pointed. The house insisted upon their
direct election by the people: the senate |
insisted that they should be appointed by |
the governor and confirmed by that body. |
The house bill contained a provision au |
the commission to fix all rates |
for passenger and freight traffic upon |
railways within the state OF New Jersey. |
The senate refused to go so far. and
limited the authority Of the commission |
to cases of discrimination against patrons
and localities. and gave IT power to bring
be fore the courts all common carriers |
charging unreasonable" rates.
Neither the house nor the senate would |
yield on these points, but both parties |
We're responsible. Both democrats and |
republicans were involved in the dead |
lock