The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-04
STILL GRINDING ON
A. A. GODDARD Appears in Utility
Bill Controversy.
Protests ON Behalf of lndepen-
dent Telephone Company.
PEOPLE Do NOT KNOW
Says III They Understood Meas
ure Would Be Uprising.
Objects to Regulating Charges
and Other Features.
PEOPLE Do NOT KNOW

The hearing on the public utilities
bill before the senate judiciary com
mittee was resumed at S:45 this morn
ing.
Mr.. A. A GODDARD spoke with reference
| to the effect of the bill on the indie
pendent telephone companies. He said
there are more than 300 telephone COM
panies in Kansas that are assessed by
the state board. The stock of the in
dependent companies is held principal
ly by people in the state. He believed
the stockholders in practically all of
the companies would be agreeable to
fair regulations relative to the issu-
ance of stocks and bonds In the tele-
phone companies he declared there is
no watering" of stocks or frenzied
speculation. Mr.. GODDARD mentioned the
corrupt financial methods that have
been practiced in certain eastern states,
but those conditions do not exist in
Kansas. He thought the legislature
should pass reasonable laws to pre-
vent such practices
Il do not believe" said Mr.. GODDARD,
that the Independent telephone people
over the state know the real contents
of the public utilities bill now under
consideration. If they did know, am
sure there would go up a protest that
would be heard all over the state"
Mr.. GODDARD threw a fine bouquet at
Senator Hamilton, the author of the
bill and regretted that the Shawnee
senator had not framed the bill him
self rather than taking it from the
Wisconsin and New York laws. He said
he is friendly to the theory of the leg
islation proposed, but that he is en-
phatically opposed to the bill in it's
present form.
Mr.. GODDARD submitted some amend
ments to the bill and discussed the
changes proposed.
Senator StaVely asked the speaker as
to the constitutionality of the provis-
ion of taking away power from the city
council and Vesting it in a commits
sion. Senator Hamilton stated that
such transfer of power by a legisla-
ture has been sustained by the courts
Mr.. GODDARD. proposed the elimina-
ton of section permitting others to
use a public utility's poles and equip
ment and that section 6, relating to
obtaining valuation OF the utilities,
should require such valuation to be
made by competent engineers. He
also proposed to cut out sections IL,
%, 81, SO, 20, paragraph of 76,
parag graph 8 of 81. all of sections 81
and 50. In brief these sections pro-
hfbit the keeping of any books other
than those prescribed by the COM
mission: permit the commission under
certain circumstances to withhold in
formation; limit the right of appeal
from orders of the commission to the
courts to ninety days; prescribed GER
tain methods of procedure before
courts and commission; allow
municipalities to grant indetermfnate
permits to competing utilities by
amending existing franchises held by
present utility which has a
monopoly; giving municipalities
authority to condemn and acquire a
public utility when public needs re-
quire and prescribing method of
procedure; and permitting the re-
covery of treble the actual damage
found if such damage is caused by
any unlawful act of the utility. Mr..
GODDARD did not desire all the sections
of the bill to be omitted However,
to many of the provisions remain
ing he suggested amendments. One
amendment proposed was that the
commission should not be allowed to
reduce charges made by public
utilities, so as to prevent them from
earning a net income of 10 per cent
upon the value of its plant.
Also he proposed an amendment
providing for a reutrn of rights sur
rendered by a public utility, in con-
sideration of receiving an fndeter
inmate permit, in the event the law
IS repealed.
At 10 o'clock the hearing was adj
journed until $50 o'clock this after
noon.