The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-08
UTILITIES BILL 4
IN Good SHAPE
Speaker Mooney Predicts Its
Passage.
TAX MEASURE ALSO SAFE

Says Attack Of Corporations Has Ac.
compllshed Little Toward Changing
Opinion Of Legislators - Senator
shaffer Has Scheme to Save state
Half a Million Yearly on Township
saIsries--Merchant DlseIoses Meth.
DDS Of Homlny Trust.
Columbus, o., March 8. - Speaker
Mooney of the house Of representa-
tives was In quite an optimistic mood
when he discussed the public utilities
bills. "The worst of the storm has
broken now" said Mr.. Mooney. "The
opposition has presented Its case. or
course most OF the corporations are
opposed to any legislation Of the
kind. They do not say that, but at
tack the details OF this bill. claiming
that they are not opposed to the prin-
ciple.
"They have stormed and charged
radicalism, socialism, almost anarchy.
Now the reaction Is perceptible. The
members are recollecting that some
OF the provisions about which SO
much noise has been made have been
on the Ohio statute books for years.
They realize that the opposition comes
In many instances from fear Of
proper publicity.
Really the most opposition is to the
section that provides for a genuine
valuation OF public utilities. That
would eventually preclude speculation
In franchises. When corporation
gets a franchise 1t can issue stocks
and bonds. and II It can. make
rates that will insure dividends and
interest the difference between the
actual valuation and the market value
of the stocks and bonds represents
profit. If the commission had the
right to value and then to limit stock
and bond issues, this speculation In
franchises would be crippled"
The passage Of the bill will nct be
pressed until after the taxation legis-
lation has been disposed OK. The
chances for taxation reform and state
regulation Of public utilities are bet
ter than ever. according to the advo-
Gates of those measures. The enact
ment of the Langdon tax bill in all It's
essential features they consider cer-
tainty, while they are sanguine that
the public utilities bill will be passed
through the house at least.
Nearly $500,0O0 a year will be saved
TO the taxpayers Of the state; the
work Of three township officials will
be combined and placed under the d.
rection of one and the latter will be
compelled to devote himself to the du-
ties Of the place and see that affairs
are run In an efficient and business
like method instead of the haphazard
and unsatisfactory way whicn now
prevails, providing that a measure
which Senator William N. Shaffer,
Democratic member OF Paulding coun-
ty, has prepared is passed. Il COM
bines the Offices of township trustees,
township treasurer and township
clerk into the single Office of y town
ship trustee elected by the people,
and he shall perform all or the duties
which the three now have supervision
over.
The Langdon tax commission bill
was reported favorably by the house
taxation committee, with amendments
the Nichols law theory of
taxation, which means taxation on
value of securities. to all public utili.
ties. The measure Is a special order
of business for LAS Thursday. After
1t is disposed Of the house will take
up the Smith bill, limiting the tax
levy throughout the state to 1 per
cent. This bill is similar to the Ais
dorf measure pending In the senate.
The Woods utility commission bill
has been made special order in the
house for March 16. Representative
Elson Of Tuscarawas county intro
duced a new utilities measure. which
Is not 30 stringent as either the
Woods or the Winters bill.