Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1910-03-25
UTILITY LAW
TAKE EFFECT
ON JULY a
Special TO the EVENING NEWS.

special 10 the EVENING NEWS.
Trenton, March 25:-The Wakelee
public utilities commission bill, which
was approved yesterday afternoon as
stated in the last edition of the EVEN
ING NEWS. will not take effect until
July 4, next. On that date it will be-
come operative, and then every express
,ompany, street railway, traction, sewer,
telephone, telegraph or other corpora
ton, association or joint stock company
operating within New Jersey in addi-
tion to every steam railroad viii pass
under state regulation.
The present railway commissioners
will become the public utility commits
sioners with their salaries increased
from $4,000 to $4,000 Alfred N. Bar
Der, of this city, former assembyman,
will remain as secretary and his salary
will jump from $4,000 to $4,000. Before
July 4 the reorganization required to
take hold of the new work will be af
fected. The work of the present board
will be immensely increased and addi-
tional Office help will be required. The
present commission is housed in two
small offices in the state house. and it
is probable that new quarters viii have
to be found to provide the additional
working space that viii be needed.
1t was about clock when Cover
nor Fort affixed his name to the bot
tom of the measure, several senators
and assemblymen being present. This
was few minutes after he had given
out his official statement with reference
to the bill. Governor Fort said he
could not give the pen to either Senator
Wakelee or Assemblyman Pierce be-
cause it was the same pen with which
he signed his oath of office at his in
auguration and he desired to keep it.
His statement was as follows:
Statement by Governor Fort.
After a most careful study of Sen
ate Bill 254 for the regulation of Pub
lie Utilities. and after an opinion by
former Supreme Court Justice Bennett
Van Svckel declaring it to be consti-
tutional along all the lines in which l
feared there might be doubt as to its
eonstitutionality I have approved it.,
and It is now a law. l have also sought
and received verbal opinions upholding
the constitutionality of the act from
Attornev-General Wilson and Chandler
w. Riker, Esquire. As to the general
features of the bill and its probable
tboritativelv' regulate utilities
companies, | have conferred very fully
with Frank II. Sommer, Esquire, the
president of the Railroad Commission
lie deeAs the bill to contain many val
uable features, and with ample author
itv to do effective work under it. My
own study of its provisions has con
vinced me that it is in many respects
an effective act. It certainly is a long
step in advance. If 1t did nothing else
than give the Commission power to in
auire into and expose unjust exaetion
and to inhibit unjust determinations
as to rates and charges-whieh it
clearly does-it would be unfortunate
If il should fail of enactment. But it
does 90 farther, in that it confers upon
the Utilities Board, in the strongest
language possible, power TO compel safe
and adequate service by all utilities
companies Under this power proper
and safe car service can be required.
To be compelled to hang upon straps
should soon cease.
The Commission has no power to fix
rates under this act, even upon com
plant, but it can investigate rates Con
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