The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-25
row A UTILITTEs LAW WORKS.

lIOW A UTILITIES LAW WORKS
In the state of Wisconsin the rail
, road commission has charge of the pub
lie utilities in general under laws which
are similar to those proposed by the
bills on the subject before the Kansa.
J legislature, and which the house has
sent back to the judiciary committee
for re-drafting. DR.. B. H Meyer, pres
ident of the railroad commission OF
Wisconsin, recently delivered an ad-
dress on What the Wisconsin Utili-
ties Commission has Done bef/re the
National Municipal League and the
American Civic Federation. Inasmuch
as the same things could probably be
accomplished under similar laws in
Kansas, some excerpts from the speech
| of DR.. Meyer. cannot fail to be of in
| terest and Importance at this. time.
He said:
| The Wisconsin legislation has taken
the utilities, as well as the railroads,
| out of politics. 1 do not believe that
| many citizens can be found in the state
| OF Wisconsin who would seriously claim
that in either the primary campaign or
in the campaign preceding the present
| November elections, the utilities as
such had entered into politics. All
students of municipal affairs well know
that in this elimination of politics from
the management of utilities we have
removed one of the greatest and most
persistent sources of corruption and
bad government.
The utilities law tends to eliminate
feuds between the citizens and the
arrangements of public and private
plants: The law assures to all COM
munities good service at reasonable
rates This is placed within the reach
Of all impartially, whether the COM
mission advances or lowers the rate.
The basis of it's findings is published in
every instance. These published facts
should suffice to convince, and 1 be-
ieVe do convince, the average citizen of
the reasonableness and justice of the
decision, if it is reasonble and just, and
whether he likes it or not he must
abide by that decision. In this respect,
cases affecting utilities are quite differ
ent from the most of the cases affecting
the railroads. In the case of utilities
the controversy frequently degenerates
into bitter and partisan feud, affect
ing the entire population, which blinds
both sides to a proper comprehension
of the facts and to a sense of justice.
Proceedings before the commission tend
to clarity and educate public opinion.
The public utilities law raises the
standard of morality through the eradi-
cation of the evil of discrimination, and
the protection of a reasonable rate. To
those who are quite familiar with the
past evils of discrimination in railway
rates, the extent Of the discrimination
in the rates in service utilities may be
almost beyond comprehension. The
whole state of Wisconsin was literally
streaked and plastered with discrimina-
lions in the rates of utilities, and in all
the rest of the country where the eX-
tent of such determinations have not
yet been determined, as they have been
in Wisconsin, it is quite probable that
determinations similar In character
and extent likewise exist. All rates,
rules and regulations in effect in the
state are on file with the commission,
and these are the only rates mad regu-
lations which can be lawfully en-
forced and collected. Free and reduced
rate service has been absolutely pro-
hibited. Thousands of individuals had
been receiving free and reduced rate
service, and eradication of all such
tonic and raise the level of public and
private morality within the state as a
whole. For 80 of the reporting tele- |
phone companies. eight of every 100 !
rate service. The process of equaliza- |
ton of rates had been going on for |
over year. Consequently the actual |
extent of the unjust discrimination was |
doubtless very much greater at the |
time of the enactment of the law. I
have every reason to believe that in |
every other state of the Union these
determinations still flourish al the ex-
pense of subscribers who pay the full |
rate Similar Determinations exist in |
other classes of utilities.
The utilities law is working a revolu-
ton in business management. While I
some arrangements are doubtless mod
els from a business point of view, they
are not the general rule Many of the |
utilities companies have not been oper-
ated on a business basis; in fact, it is
probable that a good many of the man
agements did not have the remotest |
idea as to the exact standing from a
business point of view of the plant
they were operating. Uniform account
ing rules governing the service and the
equation of rates compel the adoption
Of business and scientific methods,
which is resulting in nothing short of a
revolution in management.
All of the effects of the law, taken
are bound to place invest
ments in public utility enterprises on
a more stable foundation. The law
works both ways. On the one hand. it
protects the consumer against unjust
and unreasonable rates and poor ser
vice and on the other, 1t protects the
investor in his claim to a reasonable
rate on the property which is devoted
probably remove public utility invest
the field of speculation and place them
stable investments.
PURE PEST EXTERAINATORS.