Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-07
INFLUENCE ON TRADE
Use of Electricity in Variety of
Pursuits.
AS COOPERATIVE AGENCY
Addresses and Papers Before Electric
Light Association.
UTILITIES IN NEW YORK STATE
Legislative Measure Recently Adopted.
Aim Of the Public Service Cor
porations Outlined.
AS COOPERATIVE AGENCY
UTILITIES IN NEW YORK STATE

ton discussion conferred upon the opening
of new era Of trade development along
the line of further concentration in in
dustry. Already In the electrical field this
new movement under the name Of Co
operative commercialism'' has made so
much progress that its extension is assured.
In his paper on this subject, ]. Robert
Grouse Of Cleveland, Ohio, said it was
intended to create favorable conditions and
provide proper facilities for the most rapid
and flexible interchange Of the best COM
mercial Ideas and methods throughout
the non-competing branches of the trade,
the contractors and the central stations In
particular: to bring to the effective support
Of the non-competing branches the manu-
facturers and the tobbers, and to mass the
combined selling strength of all branches OF
the common market, the public, through
national campaign OF advertising and COM
mercial publicity, exploiting the generic
uses and advantages Of electrical service
and reaching. in addition. allied lines such
as architects, builders. contractors. real
estate dealers, ETC., with subsidiary cam
paigns and personal work.
The idea amounted. in fact, Mr.. Grouse
said, to corporation whose stockholders
and members would comprise individuals,
firms, corporations, ETC., directly or in
directly interested in the manufacturing,
jobbing, contracting and in the sale of
electric current.
ut must be apparent" he said that
such an organization as it gradually de-
veloped would be able to WELD tremen-
dous commercial force"
Going into the theory Of this new plan
for the extension Of the use of electricity
through the concentration of all available
means, Mr.. Grouse said:
Stage Of Developments.
within the memory of men present BUSH
ness has passed consecutively through the
periods of individualism. copartnership,
corporation. consolidation and association
This development has amounted in some d.
rections to the reasonable restraint Of such
competitive effort as tends to defeat the
real objects of more efficient production and
distribution, and in other directions to the
stimulation of competitive effort in chan
nels where the result is a gain to those
ends"
The report Of the n E. L. A. committee
to assist In prosecuting the cooperative
plan strongly indorsed Mr. Crouses cam
paign. declaring that "the proposed form
of organization will guarantee conservative
and wise direction of the movement for the
common good" Equally strong indorse-
ment came from Henry L. Doherty, repre-
senting the largest number of electrical
properties under one control in the United
States
On the cooperative campaign already or
ganized by Mr. Grouse the Cooperative
Electrical DEVELOPMENT Association has
spent $4,000. For the broader plans now
completed. covering general and localized
advertising campaigns in the newspapers,
exhibitions and educational efforts in other
directions, an ultimate expenditure Of
$4,000 annually Is involved. The funds are
to be provided on the basis of a very small
tax on the gross income of the cooperating
concerns.
Electricity as Motive Power.
Back Of the whole idea Of ''co-operative
commercialfsm" is the realization that as
rapidly electricity is displacing other
forms Of power its future expansion will
far outstrip the past, not only. along lines
heretofore developed but for every purpose
requiring light or heat.
The report of the public policy committee
presented last night to the National Elec-
trio Light Association convention takes an
advanced position on the subject of the reg
ulation of public service corporations "Au-
tomato public regulation and control is
advocated as against arbitrary and inflex-
Idle laws such as have recently been passed
in some states.
The subjects of municipal ownership and
OF public regulation and control of public
utilities are intimately connected with each
other" the committee says Neither can
be adequately discussed without reference
to the other. Indeed, one Is the alternative
Of the other Municipal ownership ia de-
manded largely because of the absence of
proper public regulation and control. Public
regulation and control, If efficient, remove
the necessity or excuse for municipal own
ership by securing fair treatment for the
public.
1.-The great body of our people prefer the
original American theory that the functions
Of government should, whenever practical
Bile, be restricted rather than enlarged, and
that enterprises Of essentially business
character are best ntrusted to private en-
terprises, rather than to political manipula-
ton. The public funds should be employed
solely for public purposes, and the tax levy
should not be subjected to the perls of COM
mercial enterprises.
That which is now uppermost in the pub
lie mind is supervision and control In our
judgment some form of public supervision
and control is inevitable, and we believe 1t
should be welcomed by the parties in inter
est provided it is put in such form as to
preserve private rights and properties as
well as to promote the interests of the pub
lie"
Public Utilities in New York.
AS the most conspicuous of recent meas
ures of regulation and control, the commit
tee Instances the public utilities bill just
passed by the New York legislature, which
gives little. If any, opportunity for the OPP
GRAFTON of automatic regulation, but rests
practically the whole authority in that re-
gard in boards of officials who must neces-
sarily exercise the widest discretion"
Whatever may be the advantages to the
public interests attainable by this law, un-
der favorable conditions. it cannot. be de-
MED that it has great opportunities for evil
under other conditions. Indeed 1t is diff |
cut to suggest any other political machine |
which would be anything like as effective I'm |
its operation. or baneful in its result
Whatever claims of superior efficiency
may be advanced in favor of a system of |
supervision and control of the New York
type are offset by the objection of plac- |
ing the vast interests of stockholders in the |
keeping. and, as history shows frequently |
at the mercy, of public funct;onaries who |
sometimes are, but more frequently are not |
ftted by education or experience for the !
discharge Of their duties.
Increase Facilities, Reduce Charges.
THE effort of every public service cor
poration ought to be to increase it's facil- |
tiles and reduce it's charges as rapidly as |
possible, and it should not be Handicapped |
in doing so by exactions which reduce the |
ability of the companies to do SO by the |
amounts eXacted. In other words, what
ever contributions public service CORPORA |
tons make to the public. aside from their |
of general taxes, should be |
made to those who use their service.
IF this simple but funda propos;