The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-22
THE UTILITIES BILL.

When Governor Hughes suggested
to the New York legislature some two
years ago the desirabiIity of placing
the public service corporations OF
the state under the supervision of
public utilities commissions-for
there are two bodies of this sort
in the Empire state, one having
charge of the quasi-public corpora
tion in the city of New York and the
other having similar charge of those
in the remainder of the state
a mighty protest went up from these
corporations and their agents against
the enactment of these ideas into laws
which was monumental as compared
with the protests being now Ieveled
at similar legislation which is pend
ing in the Kansas legislature. Legisla-
tive agents, counsels and real dyed
in-the-wool lobbyists infested the
legislative levels of New York and
fought the public utilities bills. But
their efforts did not avail.
With tears in their eyes and with
quavering voices they pleaded with
the New York legislators to throw the
proposed legislation to the brush heap
because its enactment would mean
the death of many of the public SER
vice corporations doing business in
New York city and throughout the
state. 1t was argued that if the
Ie eoiSJotjor did not 1riI1 than, o,7FrioE,t
it would MAIN them to such an extent
that they would be terribly hampered
in fulfilling their functions. 1t was
said If a public commission was to
be entrusted with the supervision of
the issuance of stock and bonds by
public service corporations it would
mean that few corporations would be
able to be developed in the way that
they should be.
All of the arguments that were
used by legislative agents in New York
have been used during the past week
or two by the corporate agents in
Kansas. Dire have been the predic-
tons that have been made as to what
will become of the public service cor
porations of the state if a commission
Is to be permitted to "meddle" with
It's affairs.
But such rantings as these are not
-enable in the premises. For the ex-
periences of the public service cor
oorations in New York during the
past two years have proven con-
that the corporate agents
we're talking to no good purpose and |
onIy for effect when they made the
same arguments against the New
York bills on this subject while they
we're undergoing enactment into laws. |
Not a public service corporation |
has been put out of business in New
York state in the two years that the |
public utilities commissions have been
them. Not a one has
'een hampered in its proper growth
md development. Many of the
Methods of doing business on the part
# some of them which were question
Lble to say the least, have been rec
ified by the public service boards,
md 1t has been found that these
'hanges have worked out In reality
With quite as much satisfaction and
'enefit to the corporations themselves
Is they have to the public.
The great trouble with public ser
ice corporation is that they veil
oud before they are hurt AS Cover
Tor Stubbs says. there is not a thing
the public utilities bills before the
Kansas legislature, which will harm in
my way any public service CORPORA
ion that is transacting its business in
N honest and equitable manner as
10 doubt many of them are.
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