The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-03-14

X Has Eliminated Politics, Fcuds Be-
tween Corporations and Citizens and
Discrimination In Rntes-lt Has Eo-
toblished Business Methods of OP-
GRAFTON and Is Protecting Both the
ConsUnnor and tho Investor.
By DR. p. II. MEYER, president OF tho
railroad commission or Wisconsin,
The Wisconsin legislation hns taken
tho utilities as well as the railroads
out OF politics. / do not believe that
many citizens can be found In the
state OF Wisconsin who would serious
ly claim that In either the primary
campaign or In the campaign preced
inC the present November elections the
utilities as such had entered into poll
ties. All students of municipal affairs
well know that In this elimination OF
politics from the management Of utili
ties we have removed one of the great
est and most persistent sources of cor
ruption and bad government
The utilities law tends to eliminate
fcuds between the citizens and the
management of public and private
plants The law assures to all commu-
mites good service at reasonable rates
This Is placed within the reach of al
impartlally. whether the commission
advances or lowers the rate The bnsie
OF Its findings is published In every
instance. These published facts should
suffice to convince and l believe do
convince the average citizen of the
rensonnblcncss and Justice Of the deci
sion. IL 1t Is reasonable and just. and
whether he likes, 1t or not, he must
nblde by that decision. In this respect
cases affecting utilities are quite DIFF
fercnt from the most of the cases af
fecting railroads, In the case Of utill
ties the controversy frequently degen'
crates into bitter and partisan feud
affecting the entire population. which
blinds both sides to proper compre-
hcnsion OF the facts and to sense Of
justice Proceedings before the com
mission tend TO clarity and educate
public opinion.
The public utilities law raises the
standard OF morality through the Grad
ication OF the evil of discrimination
and the protection of n reasonable
rntc. To those who are quite familiar
with the past evils of discrimination
in railway rnteS the extent of the dis
elimination In the rates IN service util
files may be almost beyond compre'
hcnsion The whole state OF Wiscop
sin was literally 9trcnked and plaster
ed with Determinations In the rates of
utilities, and In all the rest of the
country where the extent Of such dis
ordinations have not yet been deter
mined. as they have been In Wlscon
sin. 1t Is quite probable that discrimi-
nations similar In character and extent
likewise exist, All rates, rules and
regulations IN effect in the state are
on flc with the commission. and these
are the only rates and regulations
which can be lawfully enforced and
collected. Free and reduced rate serv-
fee has been absolutely prohibited.
Thousands of individuals had been re-
ceiving free and reduced rnte service,
and eradication Of all such rates cnn
not help but serve us n moral tonic
and raise the level Of public and pri-
vate morality within the state as
whole, For thirty-two Of the report
Ing telephone companies eight Of every
hundred subscribers received free or
reduced rnte service, The process Of
equalization of rates had been going
on for over year Consequently the
actual extent OF the unjust discriminn
at the time OF the enactment OF the
INV I have every reason to believe
that IN every other state of the Union
these determinations still flourish Mt
the expense OF subscribers who pay
the full rate. Similar determinations
exist in other classes of utilities,
The utilities law Is working n revo-
luton In business management, While
some maDoGements arc doubtless mod
els from o business point OF view. they
arc not the general rule Many OF the
utilities companies have not been op-
Grated on n business basis. In fact, IL
Is probable that good many OF the
mnnngements did not have the remot-
est Idea os to the exact standing from
business polut OF NicW Oh the Pi"n'
they were operating. Uniform ac-
counting, rules governing the service
and the regulation Of rates compel the
adoption Of business and scientific
methods which are resulting In moth
ing short Of a revolution In mannSe-
ment
All Of the effects of the law. taken
collectively, arc bound 10 place invest
mcnts in public utility enterprises on
more stable foundation. Tho law
works both ways. On the one hand
It protects the consumer against unjust
and unreasonable rates and poor serv-
ice and on the other II protects the In
vestor In his claim to q reasonable rate
on the property which ie devoted to
public use. This legislation will proha-
bly, remove public utility investments
very greatly. II not entirely. from the
6eld of speculation and place them In
the class Of conservative, certain and
stable investments.
Hardly a Square Deal
The Pittsburg board Of trade mas
.lalV