The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-13
T0ML|NS0N BILL
WENT TO SENATE
IN GREAT HASTE
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sion would have power to grant any
such company the right to raise it's
rates to any point.
Commissions Power.
Under this Garrard bill if COM
pany had a franchise that it did not
like it could go to the commission and
surrender the franchise without even
the consent of the city and receive
from the commission an indie termin-
ate permit to 60 ahead and do BUSH
ness and sell it's gas, water. electricity
or whatever it made at any price that
the commission might fix. Thus, all
control of public utilities would be
taken away from the cities themselves
and the cities would lose whatever in
come it may be receiving from such
corporations. If competing company
wished to establish plant in a city
where one of the same kind already
was in existence it would have to ask
the commission and the commission
could let it in or keep it out. Thus
would competition be effectually
strangled.
Where Bill Originated.
This bill was prepared by attorneys
for the Indianapolis Gas company,
whose franchise in this city expires
within the next year and which can
not get a new franchise unless it
takes it under the law that requires
1t to sell gas at 60 cents a thousand,
the same as the Citizens Gas company
charges. But it is general law and
If the bill passes it will apply to the
entire state, and every city and town
that has a public utility company
would be affected by it, for the people
of those corporations.
Marshall Against II.
Surprise has been expressed that
Garrard would take hold of a bill of
this kind. He is the democratic floor
leader. The democratic platform did
not declare for such public utilities
law and Governor Marshall does not
believe that a public utilities commits
sion. is needed now. Garrard is put
ting in lot of his time pushing this
bill and in this course he is embarras-
sing the democrats of the house.
Some of them are complaining about
it. They say such bill is undemo-
cratic because it aims to put the peo-
Pile absolutely in the power of corpor-
;ch t.,
against the bill.
Was Road Bill Day.
Yesterday seemed to be road bill
day in the house. Among the road
bills introduced yesterday were these:
The county surveyor shall do the
work now done by the county engi-
neer.
Against building gravel road with
in a mile of county line road unless
the line road is graveled.
To permit farmers to build road a
half mile in length without cost to the
county.
To make the road supervisor the
road superintendent and providing for
the election of road superintendent in
townships that have forty miles of
road.
To prevent the scraping of roads
in the winter months.
Two Towns Wage War.
Yesterday was court day. also, In
the house. The red hot fight between
Linton and Bloomfield took a new
turn yesterday. when the bill to
create superior court at Linton and
Sullivan advanced to third reading
and the bill to make separate circuits
Of Greene and Sullivan counties for
circuit court purposes was killed. The
bill for an additional superior court
Judge at Hammond was advanced to
and the bill for a super
Tor court at Gary was sent to third
reading. A favorable report was made
on a bill to make Howard county q
separate circuit The Linton and
Gary bills are ready for passage.
Will Please Farmers.
The senate. yesterday. passed al
road bill that will be hailed with de
light by the farmers of the state The
bill changed the three-mile road Law
% that when nifty property owners Of
= township petition for the building Of
4 road not more than three miles IN
length. the cost to be charged to the
snttJ0 township. Il Shall b. Discretion