Semi-weekly herald. [volume] (Durango, Colo.) 1907-1917, 1910-02-14

defects in the system They lave
asked that the law be amended In
several particulars; but every enc
agrees that both commissions have
served an important purpose and con.
stitute the best method that has yet
been devised for the protection Of
the rights OF the public and the stock
holders of the railway lines, the gau
works. the electric light companies
and other public utilities.
The policy of both commissions
there are two entirely distinct, one
having jurisdiction of everything in
the city Of Greater New York and the
other of the rest of the state-is not
ocut rates or Interfere with the
proper management of the various
companies, but to improve the service.
Governor Hughes defined the motive
and the policy of the public service
commission. which is his creation,
when he vetoed the bill prohibiting the
railroads of New York from charging
more than 2 cents mile for carrying
passengers. He took the ground that
the people of this state did not want
cheap transportation, but prompt, reg.
ular. comfortable and rapid transport
tation. and are willing to pay for 1t.
the people at large in this country.
Notwithstanding the persistency of the
2-cent-a-mile fanatics
Not how cheap, but how good"
is The motto of the public service com
missions in New York. and their en-.
deavors from the date of their appoint.
ment have been to compel the railway
companies, both in the city and
throughout the state. the gas compa
MES, the electric light companies and
best possible service they can render
and on the other hand to provide that
| the public shall pay all II Is worth
This has become the fixed policy
of New York state" said William
Wilcox, chairman of the public serv-
Ice commission of Greater New York,
and while the law under which we
are operating needs smoothing down In
| some particulars and strengthening In
others. any attempt to impair its eff
cheney or change the purpose of the
board would be defeated by the al
most unanimous vote of both political
parties Neither party would dare go
| into n campaign to discredit the com
mission or abandon the policy 1t rep
resents. During the late mum, ipal
campaign In New York every political
party and faction spoke well of us
and the number of letters we are re.
ceiving from different parts of the
country indicates the desire and in
tention of other states to adopt
similar law. believe 1t has air eady
been decided upon In Ohio. | under
stand that the Republican IL aders OF
tnat legislature have prepared bill
similar to our law and that H. haa re
oeived The approval OF President Taft
A similar law has been proposed in
Connecticut, and will probably be
adopted by the legislature of that
state. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and California similar measures have
been proposed, and we have received
a large number of letters from peo
pie In Illinois lnquiring as to the fea
lures of our law and their practical
operation as applied to steam and cleo
trio railways and to other public util.
tiles.
There is an irresistible tendency
in every part of the country to rail
way regulation. The movement can
not be stopped, and the wisest of the
managers and financiers, recognizing
this, are accepting the situation philo-
sophically, and are using their influ-
ence to secure the most practical and
efficient methods, which, believe,
have been developed In the experience
of two years and half OF our upstate
public service commission. which has
is office at Albany. and the commits
sion which has Jurisdiction over the
public utilities OF Greater New York.