The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-07-29

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regulations established by the municipal
authorities. See on this point the case
of Cedar Rapids vs Cedar Rapids Gas
Co. 100 N. w. Rep. 966, decided May 4,
1909, where an ordinance fixing the gas
rates at 80 cents per thousand cubic feet
WAS sustained.
The commission is theoretical in its
methods and in its manner of admins
tering this law. If there was one thing
that municipal bodies had learned TO be
it was to be practical and where the
public utilities were under the control of
the municipalities practical results were
obtained.
AS pointed out above, the commission
fixes the maximum rate and the mini
mum service. What the cities and viii
lagos want is the minimum rate and the
maximum service and that was the
point which the municipalities sought
in their regulation of the public utilities.
Each municipality sought to get for its
citizens as much as possible for the
money they paid The commission now
virtually leaves the reduction of rates to
the public utilities and compels the pub
lie to be satisfied with paying the high.
est price for the lowest practical service.
Another objection that may be lodged
against the commission is that the rail
road commission has too much control
of legislation. The railroad commission
law was Sustained on the theory that
the law did not seek to endow the com
mission with authority to legislate, yet
the practical fact remains that the CON-
mission does legislate and also does con.
troll the legislature. No bill affecting
public utilities or railroads, their rates
or their service, was passed by the last
legislature without the approval of the
commission. Every such bill was taken
to the commission and if the commission
put its approval upon the bill it passed );
otherwise the bill was slated for defeat
| Some of these measures were purely
! legislative measures for instance the
bill establishing the public policy of this
state to be against II service charge.
This was purely a legislative measure.
under the constitution to establish the
public policy of this state. That is a
legislative matter and yet the commits.
sion has in numerous cases proceeded to
establish the public policy Of this state
and when this bill came before the legis-
lature the commission recommended its
defeat and it was defeated. Here turks
a serious danger to the state in the crea-
ton of vast number of commissions
whose members owe their appointment
not to the people but the executive The
commissions in place of being the SER
wants of the people become the masters.
They constitute part of the tremen.
dous political machinery of the state
and control the politics of the state and
control its legislature. To my mind,
there is serious danger to the state in
this increasing number of commissions,
boards and committees, each and all of
which are reaching out and grasping
more and more authority and each one
of which by each succeeding legislature
is granted more and more authority un
til the legislature itself is merely an ap
preparations committee acting under the
direction of the various committees,
boards and commissions. There is food
for serious thought on this subject.
The commission is slow in its work
and is far removed from the people af
fected by its orders 1t fails to come in
contact with the local conditions in
the various cities. Complaints are sub
mitted to the commission. The com
mission is too far removed from the
locality affected, so that the cities and
villages hesitate to go to the great ex
pense of bringing witnesses to Madison
to present the various phases of the case
| IuC lCsuit 10 thC tOCb Viz
best it can and decides the case accord
ing to its various theoretical cure,
you who have been before the commits
sion appreciate that term and no one
knows what real facts were used as the
foundation for the order and decision
announced.
Water works, gas works and electric
flight works are purely local affairs anG
ought to be subject to the control Of thu
municipality which permits them tc
operate within its borders. 1t is purely
local matter which ought to be con
trolled by the local government Put
ting the control Of these utilities int
the hands of the commission is contrary
to the fundamental principles of on
government The cities can manag,
their own business a great deal bette
than commission located one hundred
or two hundred miles away can rul
that business for them. The munici
palities of this state need no guardians
They can run their own business an,
they know their own business a grea
deal better than an impartial and fair
minded commission far distant know
that business. What justification
. there for this consolidation of authorit
: in Madison? Why not locate it in Wash
: ington or in Peru as well2 The farthe