New-York tribune., 1907-06-29
THE UTILITIES COMMISSIONS.


Public expectation is not disappointed in the
Utilities commissions named by Governor
Hughes. The Governor has given most careful
consideration to the question, with the sole pur-
pose of appointing the best men whom he could
persuade TO take the places He has secured
commissioners in whom the public has reason
to repose full confidence and at whose hands the
public service corporations may expect talr ana
iudiciOus treatment. There is not man upon
either commission who is publicly known to have
prejudged the regulation of corporations. There
is not among the appontees, so far as we are
aware, crank, a corporation hunter, friend
of the people" man who has played 10 the
galleries for popular applause as fervld de-
nouncer of public abuses. or an orator who has
founded upon his invective n reputation among
the undiscriminatng for q ready knowledge of
public service problems nor, on the other hand,
is there man likely TO be preJudiced in favor
of the public corporations. There are no poll
ticians among them of the chronic office holding
type. They are lawyers or business men or eX-
perts in regard 10 the peculiar problems to which
they must address themselves, and they are above
ALL open minded men, who will approach those
problems without precOnceived notions; but they
men of tried capacity and known ability,
who give promise of being able to undertake sue
cessfuly the extremely arduOus tasks Of the
new commissions.
Mr.. Wilcox, the chairman Of the commission
in the city district has filed two public offices,
the cOmmlssOnership of parks and the post
mastership, with general approval. His natural
qualities exceptionally fit him for this place, for
he is man of executive ability, of energy and
of unusual tact. which he has shown IN carrying
out his plans for increasing and improving the
New York postal service in face Of the tradi-
tiOnal jealousy in Congress Of New York appro-
priatons, and tact Is going TO prove indis-
pensabe quality in the successful public utilities
commissioner. Mr.. McCarrOll and eX-CongreSs-
man Bassett will look after Brooklyns interests
on the new board Mr.. McCarroll is a prom
inent merchant and president Of the New York
Board of Trade and Transportation. Mr.. Bas-
sett is a lawyer who has taken active interest
in Brooklyn's transit needs. Mr. EuStis Is thor
oughly conversant with the conditions in The
Bronx. He is a lawyer and has been park
commissioner. Mr.. Naltbie is a student of mu-
nicpaI problems having investigated them in
this country and abroad and written extensively
upon them
The commission for the rest OF the state Is
also slrong body. Chairman Stevens is one
Of the leaAing lawyers In Western New York.
EX-MayOr 0bOrne Of Auburn is a manufacturer,
a man Of high character and public spirit, who
made eXCellNnt business" Mayor of Auburn
a few years ago. Mr.. Keep has been an as
sistant secretary Of the United States Treasury
and is now State Superintendent Of Banking by
appointment Of Governor Hughes. As chairman
Of the Keep commission he made the famous
report relative TO improving the business meth
ods OF the departments at Washington. Mr.
Sague is a mechanical engineer and railroad
man Of wide experience, whose practical know
edge will be Of value TO the commission. The
experience of Mr.. Decker, too, will prove useful
10 his associates, for assistant secretary Of
The Interstate Commerce Commission he has be-
come familiar with the federal regulation Of
railroads
Both commissions undertake the most diff
cult and important work which has been in
trusted 10 any administrative board In many
years. They will initiate policy from which
the public expects much, probably too much
OF the two, the city commission has undoubtedly
the harder problems before il, for besides all
the regulatiye work in its difficult field, 1t Is
burdened also with creative work, and how
hard the task is of providing future transit
facilities for the city is shown by the recent
. failure Of the Rapid transit Commission TO OBJ
tain bids upon the routes ii laid out Whatever
orders capital may be subject to under regu-
latlVe system. il cannot be ordered TO invest