The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-06-21
UTILITY YHLALAw
Becomes Effective Without the
Governors Signature.
OHIO STATUTE IS DRASTIC

Regulatory Measure WaGteful
Competition Ia Eliminated.
Columbus, o. CSrccial) Tho most
progressive legislation ever enacted
in Ohio became effective waon the
Winters utility bill was passed after
an exhaustive study by conference
committee representing the house
and senate II was then permitted to
lecome a law without the governors
hgnature.
This particular legislation has fig.
ured more in the public eye than any
other measure considered by tais leg.
islaturc for the reason that IL
touches either directly or inlirectly
the pocketbooks of every consumer in
the state Of Ohio.
The placing OF this act en- the stat.
utes puts Ohio easily in the van in tho
matter Of really progressive lcgisi:.
tion, for II is the unqualified opinion
of lesal and economic experts vino
have studied this law that 1t ia tho
best and most advanced now on tho
statute books Of any state in tho
Union.
The utilities act is based upon that
feature Of economic destiny that com
petition is wastcful and useless and
q heavy burden upon the consumer;
and for this waste Of duplication is
substituted state control by ccnpo.
tent commission of all OF its public
utilities.
This commission Is clothed with
the most complete powers. u can
absolutely regulate the capitalization
and expenditure OF utilities. the rates
10 he charged and practices TO 10
adopted; can compel good service
and adequate service. extensions OF
plant. etc: can dictate the methods
Of bookkeeping and accounting and
exercise a close supervision over all
relations Of utilities with the con.
sumer, the public and the investor.
Every utility serving the public for
profit in this state comes under the
terms Of the act railroads, interurban
electric railroads, express companies,
transportation companies gas com
panies, electric light companies, tele-
phone and telegraph companies, etc.
There is assured to the people. who
are really indispensable partners in
every public utility, the widest pub
licity regarding the heretofore secret
inside doings Of every utility corpo-
ration in the state. This Information
will he on file with the commission
81 all times and open to public in
sPection. .....4 ..
Strictly local utilities, such as gas.
water and electric light. are still to
ho regulated by the municipality,
with an appeal to the comin,ss'op by
the consumer II he feels aGsrieyed
over any rate or term fixed by coun-
Gil. This applies particularly TO the
natural gas question, which has re.
Gently reached an acute stage in sey.
eral Ohio cities, notably Columbus,
where the good effect OF the Wv was
recently shown in the acceptance by
the gas company Of a 30-cept rate
whore 80 cents had bceD demanded
with threat Of turning off ga and
taking It elsewhere.
The Ohio law has been pronounced
to be a much more comprehensive
measure from every viewpoint than
the recently enacted New Jersey law
which experts say is full OF lco3ho!cs,
while in the Ohio law there Is no
chance 10 drive through any openings.
One feature which will interest the
consumer TO a great degree Is the
unlfication of e ephone service
throughout the state, which will be
one Of the first direct beneficial re-
suits Of the law.
For a long time the telephone user
In Ohio has groaned under The bur.
den Of two telephone systems dupli-
eating their services in every city
and hamlet In the state. The con
sumer has paid the freight bogrudg.
| ingy on the theory that competition
in telephones protected him the
consumer after while come to
the realization that this was not the
| kind OF protection that suited his
| pocketbook the best and became an
advocate Of the progressive idea that
! regulation by the state should be sub.
stituted for the wastes and annoy.
anccs incident to duplication in tele.
| phone plants, investments and sub
scrbers.
The telephone users insisted upon
being heard before the committees
having the utilities bill in charge and
stated their view OF the situation
| frankly. They stated that they had
| tried competition for a dozen years
and that II was not the protection
they thought II was and wanteo
something better-in a word, control
and regulation by the state wound
/ give them proper protection.
within rs months It is predicted
that Ohio will he enjoying q ainglo tela-
J phone service With the state AZ the
hn0or between the telephone user and the
l COMPANY This wil mean saving oi
| mary thousands Of dollars 10 the tele-
phone subscribers and those who have
/ tbslr money invested IN Ohio telephone
/ securities.
/ II q slid that the pan NJ uuiAration
now an the proccs' NJ being worked nut
4 nrovides for tsc Independent companies
\ taking oyer the bugln'ss OF their com
! reiitore in practically 75 per cent Of tna
u - a o