The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-04-06
The Public Service Commission.

The act changing the name of the
Board of Railroad Commissioners"
to Public Service Commission" and
extending the jurisdiction of the com
mission over other public service cor
porations, firms and individuals, which
was passed by the last legislature,
takes effect today The commission
as originally created by the legislat-
ure of 1906 has had jurisdiction over
railroad corporations. both steam and
electric This jurisdiction may be
summed up by saying that 1t includes
all matters relating to public safety
and accommodation, to reasonable and
equal rates and facilities and the is
suance of securities or stock TO prev
ent DISQUALIFICATION. During the
last two years the board, through pub
lie hearings and personal attention
has made orders in and adjusted a
large number of complaints, the lat
ter course seeming to have been by
far the more frequent when COM
plants have been filed. These COM
plants have ranged from attacks on
rates to requests for facilities. In ad-
dition many accident cases have been
personally or publicly investigated,
annual inspections of every road
made. and, what has probably been
of more general observance, large
number of dangerous rail-level high
way crossings have been abolished
To effectively accomplish this work
and obtain compliance with the or
ders of the board, the legislature
granted to the board all the powers
3 ->gi 10 nf
The new law IN no wise alters the
powers, procedure and work of the
old board, but applies that power and
procedure TO other public service com
panies, fitting its provisions to the
nature of the business to be super
vised The businesses to come UNI
der this supervision are companies
engaged in the manufacture, distrib-
ution and sale of gas or electricity
for lighting or heating telegraph tel
ephone and express companies and
power companies. And the word
companies" is defined to include in
dividuals, partnerships. associations,
corporations and municipalities Pro
vision is made for the inspection OF
the plants, equipment and books OF
such companies and their examination
under oath in the discretion of the
commission They are TO furnish the
commission on request such Informal
ton as to their physical condition,
management, rates and financial
standing as may be called for. Re
ports of fatal accidents and such as
incapacitate the injured person from
work are to be Immediately sent the
commission and inquiry, personally
or by public hearing, in the Judgment
of the commission, is TO be had there
Of The general jurisdiction of the
commission includes matters respect
ing the purity. quantity or quality OF
any product furnished; the prescrib-
ing of a standard of measurement,
pressure or initial voltage; the man
ner of operation so as to be safe and
accommodate the public the rate.
toll or rental charged so as TO be
reasonable and not discriminatory;
the sufficiency and maintenance OF
proper systems. plants, conduits and
continent: the issue of stock, mort
cages, bonds or other securities so as
to prevent decentralization; and the
crossing of private land by lines, con
Quits, poles, towers or wires Sched-
uleS OF rates. LollS anu tllsii StS 81 =
TO be filed with the commission and
kept in every Office as is now the prac-
tice with railroad companies. Ap-
peal from the decision Of the commits
sion leads directly to the supreme
court for the correction OF errors OF
law. 1t is especially provided that the
commission shall not restrain COM
petition: and the commission need
not require the same rate or toll for
one place as exists in another, but
shall take cognizance of local con-
ditions. The hiring of clerks, ex-
perts and temporary employees by the
commission is also provided for, sub
iect to the approval of the governor.
This is the act which Governor
George H. Prouty declared for in both
his pre- and post election campaigns
and which he ably and effectively ar
gued through the observation-disclosures
Times.