The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-17
UTILITIES BILL
NEARLY READY
Gives Great Power TO Rail-
way Commission.
WILL PFC TECT THE PUBLIC

State viii Be IN Position to Regulate
Rates on T. 1sis OF Fair Return on
Valuation Of Property as Returned
For Taxation Speaker Ninln9
Wants Legality Of Present Session
Determined by Court Before Actual
Work Begins.
Columbus. o., Jan 1.-THE Win
ters-McGuire utilities bill, which is
being drafted with an idea Of carry
ing out the state Democratic plat
form pledge, makes the present rail-
road commission of three members
the public utilities commission OF
Ohio, and places under its control all
public utilities Of whatever nature.
The bill follows very closely the
one introduced by Judge Winters last
winter which was sidetracked in the
house for the Woods bill. 1t gives
the commission a wide range Of
power in investigating complaints
against public utilities, ordering
them to make extensions, etc.
In IT'S present shape the bill has no
provision for the control Of issues Of
stocks and bonds. but according to
| Judge Winters such a provision will
likely so into the measure before 1t
is introduced next week by him in
the house and by Senator Mcclure in
tie s.nate.
The bill, In its present shape. aims
to prevent public utilities from goug-
ing the public with unfair rates on
the plea that they are entitled to
reasonable earnings on their capital
ization, which may be watered out
rageously. This is done by providing
that the commission, shall raise or
lower rates Of public utilities, using
as q basis for their calculations the
valuation cf the utility as returned
for taxation. Under the New law all
property is supposed to b ! on the tax
duplicate at 100 cents N the dollar,
but few, If any, publi9 utilities are
on for their full yalueJ
This provision i'm f'e Winters-Mc-
CURE bill 30 is cIs I by its au-
| thors, viii force publ. titles either
to quit watering .lei. Jck or to re-
turn their prop.y .or taxation at
figures representing more nearly the
real value. TIE bill provides for
home rule ~ the matter of granting
franchises to public utilities.
In The senate an effort was made to
-a. Il test of the wet and dry senti-
nent, but it failed. The Dean bill
amending the county option law was
referred to the temperance commit
tee, which the vets control Dean
first suggested that it 90 to the mu-
nicipal affairs committee, and when
later Deaton suggested that it 90 to
the temperance committee Dean
made no objection.
Investigation OF alleged election
corruption in Hamilton county will
be investigated by special commit
tee, named in the house and by the
senate elections committee. The
house committee comprises Russell,
Smith Of Butler, Hollinger,' Greeves,
Langdon, Scott and Reid. The latter
three are Republicans, the others
Democrats.
Speaker Vining Of the house sug-
gested an immediate test of the legal.
ity of the present general assembly.
The speaker wants to staye off all
fight on the assembly when the Gin
cinnati investigation begins. and
thinks the best method is TO request
State Auditor Fullington to hold up
the pay vouchers OF some of the
house employees and then mandamus
him and take the case at once into
the supreme court for a final de-
cision.
Among the bills introduced in the
house were the following:
Mr.. Hillenkamp OF Lucas. providing
for protection of bank deposits by
the formation Of a protection fund
raised by a collection of one.tenth of
/ per cent on all bank deposits. Fol
lows the Nebraska law on bank de-
posits.
Mr.. Crosser OF Cuyahoga, applying
the principle Of initiative and refer
endum to city legislation.
Mr.. Calyey of Cuyahoga, providing
for the appropriation of money for
cite for a womans reformatory, and
a commission to select the same and
erect a building.
In the senate Mr.. Green OF Coshoc-
ton presented a bill providing that in
computing miners pay all coal snoulA
be weighed before passing over the
screen.