The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-04
FRIDAY. JANUARY 4. 1907.


Gov Hughes recommends 10 the legis-
lature of New York, in his annual mes
sage, that adequate means should be
provided for the Just and impartial
regulation" Of public service corpora
tons. Nothing appears in the message
about the regulation Of industrial corpo-
rations, so that an important field OF
corporate activity is left untouched by
the governors programme of corporation
legislation. But his recommendations as
TO regUlative legislation touching public
service corporations leave nothing TO be
desired. They show firm grasp OF the
needs of the situation in the Empire
State, and a true conception Of the prin-
ciples underlying governmental control of
public utilities.
Public service corporations in New
York are now under the supervision Of
two bodies. the board of railroad COM
missioners and the commission of gas
and electricity. The powers conferred
upon these two bodies Mr.. Hughes finds
10 be conflicting and inadequate. He
recommends that their functions be COM
mitted TO a single commission. with en-
Iarged and more specifically defined
authority. This commission he would
endow with power to act upon its own
initiative, a. well as upon complaint; to
pass upon the issue Of stocks and bonds;
to examine properties. books. and ac-
counts; 20 require detailed reports in
prescribed form; to prescribe reasonable
rates; TO require adequate and impartial
service; to provide for the safety Of en-
ployes, and for the protection Of the pub
lie, and generally to direct whatever may
be necessary or proper 70 safeguard pub
lie interests and TO secure the fulfill
ment Of the public obligations Of the cor
pOrauons under its supervision" To give
force and effect to the orders and de
cisions Of the commission, Gov Hughes
recommends that it be entitled 10 insti-
tute legal proceedings for the enforce
ment Of its orders, and all such proceed
ings should be expedited by suitable
preference in all the courts Of the State"
Thus the commission proposed by Gov.
Hughes would exercise not a recon-
mandatory supervision over corporations.
as the present commissions do. but would
have power Of mandatory control
We take 1t for granted that these sound
and sensible recommendations will be re-
garded in many quarters as radical and
subversive. as confscatory Of and an
tagonistic 10 vested rights. and as a p0-
Hucal response to demagogic and danger
Gus agitation. We doubt not that many
excellent but unduly fearful people viii
discern in these suggestions of "a level
headed and well-seasoned lawyer a trend
toward government ownership and the
specialization Of industry and transporta-
ton. We do not so read the signs Of the
times. Scarcely proposition made by
Gov. Hughes but is founded deep in the
lessons Of human experience and in the
tried and immutable principles Of the
common law; scarcely one that has not
been sustained by the courts of the land
over and over again. What is really
novel and Untried in governmental regu-
lation of corporate doings is the assertion
OF authority over human relations in new
and complex forms, and the creation of
agencies adequate To assert such author
ity. The end aimed at is simply that for
which governments were formed, namely.
to secure equality among men and to
promote the general welfare.
We hope that Gov. Hughes may see
the fruiuOu of his recommendations in
legislation along the lines marked out
by him, and that his plans may not be
baked by mercenary legislators, infiu-
enced by those peCuniaTy considerations
which the saviors u society ana the con-
SENATORS Of vested interests know so
we'll how 10 apply. For there is a brand
Of conservatism that can be bought from
which may God save the Commonwealth.