New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-07
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BILL.

The public service commissions bill intro
duced by Senator Page and Assemblyman Mer-
rift embodies Governor Hughess ideas for the
state regulation Of corporations and Is an effort
to carry out the Governors pledges made to the
voters in the last election. 1t attempts to sys-
tematze the state regulation Of public utilities
companies grouping them all together-rail-
road, traction and Iighting-and dividing the
regulation of them by the state into two parts
geographically, because Of the peculiar difficulty
Of the problems presented in this city The
measure is not radical 1t goes little further
than the state has already gone in empowering
commission to regulate one class or another OF
public service companies. The new commission,
II the bill passes. will have greater powers over
railroads and street railways than the present
State Railroad Commission has. but scarcely
greater powers over them than may be exercised
over lighting companies by the present State Gas
and Electricity Commission, which represents
the states latest step in the regulation Of public
service corporations.
Increased powers for the control of railroad
and traction companies such as the bill proposes
to give the commission have been shown by ex-
perience to be necessary and are I'm line with
the increased authority of the federal Inter
state Commerce Commission. If they are grant
ed by the Legislature they will tend to promote
the efficiency Of the state government in the
direction in which there is an unquestIonable
popular demand for improvement But Gov
ernor Hughess plans are not to be understood
as antagOnistic to the railroads or the traction
corporations. The Governor is not a railroad
batter" He is not leading any propaganda
against corporate wealth. He is animated by
no antagonisms, but simply by a desire to pro-
mote justice between the corporations and the
people, and we believe that In the end the meas
ure Of state regulation to which he is commit
ted will promote the interests Of both alike.
There unquestiOnable abuses which the state
must correct If there is not 20 be an OUtburst
Of public hostility which will make the corpora
tlons the prey of demagOgues We have just
gone through a campaign which was q revela-
ton Of the possibilities Of the public temper.
We should deplOre, and we feel that the cor
poratlOns would have reason ultimately to re-
greet the defeat Of Governor Hughess efforts at
state regulation.
Furthermore. it will be in the interest Of the
public service corporations for the state to have
an established policy toward them instead of
leaving their regulation to the impulses Of the
Legislature under the influence Of hostile public
opinion. There is now being passed in many
states good deal Of slapdash legislation, aim
Ing at the regulation Of railroads There are
the tWOcent fare laws, for example, which go
through legislatures unanimously irrespective
or any consideration except that the public de-
mands, or is supposed to demand, their passage
The Reciprocal Demurrage bill is a similar
piece Of frantic lawmaklng and we have seen
how the Senate at Albany rushed it through
without consideration because It was thought to
be a popular measure. An appointive commits
sion viii be less responsive TO unintellgent
clamor, and. indeed, the state railroad commits
siOns in the West act much more reasonably
about the twOcent fare crusade than the West
ern legislatures Wisconsin is a rather radical
state, and it's Railroad Commission may fairly
be presumed to entertain advanced ideas Of state
regulation, but Ii Esrvoass 70 TIA eIamoQ tor