New-York tribune., 1911-12-17
KIND WORDS FOR P S. c. SAYS HE HATES ENGLISH
Four Commissioners Attend the
City Club Luncheon.
FOR CONSTITUTIONAL BODY
Carlisle Says This Would Mean
Freedom from Legislative Con-
trol-Bassett Defends Board.

! Kind words greeted the Public Service
| Commissioners who attended the luncheoi
| Of the City Club yesterday to listen TO
discussion Of -Four Years Of the Pubh'
Service Commission Paul u. CraVatf
presided and led off with handsome
tribute 10 the Public Service Commission
of the I'd District and later praised, with
some qualification, the work Of the Pub
lie Service Commission for the lst District
Commissioners Maltbie. Eustis, McCarrol
and Cram were the only active members
of the Public Service Commission present.
None OF them spoke. But their former
colleague, Edward NJ. Bassott, presented
his views of the work Of the commission
for tho 1st District and It's problems, ana
so did John +. Carlisle. former commits
soner for the Cd District. though in a
more general way. Joseph =. Cotton, jr.'
counsel for the Third Avenue Railroad
Company, INDUCED in some gentle crit
icsm, coated with sympathy.
Mr.. Carlisle who investigated the worN
Of the commission for the lst District Tor
the Governor. said he expected some at
tempt to he made this year to deliver the
commissions into the hands of the pol-
ticians. and that. rather than see such an
attempt successful. he would go to Albany
and advocate the repeal of the Public
Service Commissions Law. lie continued:
have no quarrel with politicians u ON
assuming Office they leave their poliucs
behind but the trouble is they go atter
offices for the sake Of the Offices. ana win
little thought of service. me, corPoi a
tions can look after the politicians al
right but the people can't
Make P. S. c. Constitutional Body
The speaker was or the opinion that Al
the next constitutional convention the peo-
ple of the state should make the Public
Service commissioners constitutional OF
Ncers and remove the danger which crops
I'D every year that the Legislature VIII
repeal or omasculate the law proNi"''e
for their existence. With regard 70 'hc
commission he investigated, he SAID
wouldn't want 10 be a commissioner
I'm the LIST District, for 10 man allNe a,,, c"r
satisfy this community HecenuS Il,,hpx5
from, beginning to end. and was astouilue"
at the mechanical efficiency OF the piinr
The subway was built 10 accoIlll'".ta t ~
aoO nn0 and IS carrying three t'hfS t t,''
number. Yet the people are Kicking neCanSe @ az
II won't accommodate six times ,ipl,Vu1,1
And they keep on putting up n, tan Out,d. Oudds
ings downtown, every one OF "iyy1b yvbv The Tho
Woolworth Building. when conpleltu, W 81,
hold enough people TO clog the SUBWAY Imp' m
| thirty minutes And those very peoPio
u,bnn theV are iostled and pushed III u,
suhwav scramble. will say, There's thal
darn Public Service COMMISSION i"'' -
a lot of small ones. e. r,i.t-,ct +.
| The commission for the ISL DIs,Ii ~ oo,,.
| cedes that They have been DONG VIVA
| tbev thought were the best Things 20 90
No matter who were on the conlmssloii
| thew would meet with CRITICISM
"Au things considered" said MI 'rd
,a+b che Public Service Commission
this district has done exceedingly well
oor,,,,,ssion Of archangels couldn't hav
achieved success.
,er Crayath proved an enthusiastic al
,ocate or the commission form OF admh'
istration. He spoke Of the horror OF W
| annual struggle with tho Legislature
which the existence OF the COMMISSIONS
this state had eliminated. adding
The commission idea has come to sta!
not only I'm this state. hut thronshout wv
Union. 7 think we are soon .,.sio,. ~ 10 ,
! series Of public service commissions
| Washington. which will deal to = great eN
! tent with questions heretofor" desIt WIZ
| by Congress or public officials who wer
| busy with other things.
SAYS Board Inherited Mistakes
Reconnaissance pa asset thought th
Centre street loop and Fourth avenue SUD
vav mistakes. but ones which the com
mission had inherited from the old Rap'
Transit Board. The route of tho presen
subway and the Interborough's contrac
with the city were other embarrassment
he said, and In the face Of all this IN
commission was bound by rapid transi
| law so weakened that It hampered accom-
plishment at every step.
And vet IL accomplished these things, h
rointed out: The amendment and improve
ment Of the law. the increase ~ the ga
pacity of tho subway from ~ 10 % pc
cent. the elimination Of grade crossings
and the regulation TO some extent of th
capitalization Of public service corpora
tions
With the decision Of the Court Of Appeal
allowing the reorganzed Third Avenu
Railway to issue securities equal to its oil
capitalization fresh in mind. Joseph =. co
ton. jr., said one Of the two main criticism
he wished TO make OF the commission Wa
that it didn't realize sufficiently tho nee
Of establishing public utilities on a has
which would show a return To the investo
His other criticism was that its member
were too responsive To public clamor.
A general discussion of capitalization
fair returns" and so on. followed NJ
Cravath contendng that. as the capitaliz;
tion Of the Third Avenue Railway repr,
sented real money. though money badl
spent. the security holders were entitled
the full paper value. so long AS a reason
I'm the future be fulfilled.
SAYS GAS MEN DIDN'T RIO