The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1910-04-07
Jjnlilits 6Sjf Summed jjp,

- summary OF tbs PUBLIC Utilities dill
passed by the Legislature, which if is
expected will be signed by Governor
Crothers in the next few days, has been
lgiven by Acknowledgements traus. The
summary Is as follows:
"rhe commission is to be composed
of three members appointed by the
IGovernor The chairman is to receive
$4,000 year and each of the other Two
5000 year. The com mission is to be
|appOinted and the names announced
10 days before the first Mondayin May,
1910. The term of office of the commits
sioners now to be appointed is to he
two years, four years and six years, re-
spectively, the Governor to designate
when he appoints the commissioners
which one is to serve two years, which
four and which six years. Aft-r the
expiration Of the terms of each of the
| first appointees, the terms of all are to
lie for six years. If the term of six
years is held to be invalid, the term of
| each of the commissioners il to he
limited to Two years.
"The Governor, upon the recommen.
dation of the commissioners, will alone
appoint general counsel to the Com
Is iissioners, whose salary Is to be "a, 500
- year, and his term of Office six years
or two years, a. in the case of the CEN
missioners. There will also be an as
sistant counsel, whose salary is to be
$4,000 year. The secretary of the com
mission is to get $1,000 year, and the
chief stenographer ST. 800.
"The jurisdiction and the powers of
the commission extend over all public
service corporations in the State, in
Guiding all common carriers, steam
railroads. street railways. steamboats,,
canals and canal companies, ferryboats,
gas and electric companies, tele phone
and telegraph companies, light, heat
and refrigeratng companies, water and
ater-power com panies and virtually
every other species of public utilities
corporation.
1.-The commission has power to de-
termine rates to be charged by each
public service corporation subject TO the |
act. These rates are required by the
act itself to be just and reasonable. The
commission is vested with full and !
plenary powers to conduct investiga-
tons In order to enable it to ascertain
what rates in the case of each particu-
lar public service corporation are just
and reasonable.
Among the powers given to the com.
mission for the purpose of enabling it |
to determine what are just amt reason
able rates are the following: TO sum.
mon and examine witnesses, to require |
the production of all books and papers,
to entertain complaints aud conduct |
hearings with respect to he REASONABLE
ness of rates and charges, to require
switch connections, to require public
schedules to be made on. for the rail-
road com panies, to prohibit undue pref
erences and Determinations on The part |
of railroad comp anies. gas companies
or any other companies sutj ect to the
act; to require the interchange of pas.
sengers and freight, to prevent discrim-
ination between carriers, to prevent un- ,
just discrimination with respect to long
and short hauls and TO req nire cafe andt
reasonably adequate and proper SER
vice on the part of the various corpora,
tons.
Uniform systems afzaeceants ma
e,required if the commission sees 1T.
Control over the issuance of new fran.
chises or privileges and over the trans
fer of franchises is vested IN the CON- !
mission. The corporations subject to |
the act may, with the consent of the |
commission, issue stocks, bonds or other |
securities, payable more than II months |
after date, when necessary to acquire |
property or for the construction, COM
pletion, extension or improvement of
their facilities, or for the improvement |
or maintenance of their service, or the |
discharge or lawful refunding of their
obligations. The commission is given |
power to enforce its orders in various |
ways provided by the act. Power is
also given it, whenever it may deem it |
desirable to do so, to value the property
of any public service corporation, but
such valuation shall be so made that as
far as possible it shall not affect the
value of bonds heretofore issued by any
such corporation.
1.-THE capitalization of merger agree
ments or franchises of public service |