The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-13
Utilities Bill Agreed to in House
Committee.
AbOlisheS the Board OF Railroad
Commissioners.
FOR NEW COMMISSION.
Members Named by Governor to
Draw $5, 900 a Year.
Regular Leaders Have Agreed to
the Terms.

Ihe house judiciary committee today
reported favorably the public utilities
commission and the bill was made
special order for Wednesday morning
or this week. The bill is the admin
lstration measure, amended in many
particulars, yet still as drastic if not
more SO, than the administration
measure, and fair to the utilities them
selves. 1t provides for home rule of
local utilities.
Davis of Kiowa, and Allen of Wyan-
dotte, two able lawyers who helped de-
feat the utilities bill last session, hav-
/ ing gained their point of home rule,
yielded to the proposition that the gov
ernor appoint the board and they pro-
pose to lend their powerful aid to the
| effort to pass the measure.
| Davis of Kiowa, chairman of ths
subcommittee that drew up the bill, is
responsible for many of it's most i'm
portant provisions and vital amend
ments. This able lawyer has devoted
most of his time since the session be-
gun in the work of drafting a utilities
bill that will be a credit to the state.
He said today that he was proud of
the committee bill as it now appeared
and would work for its passage. Mat
son of Sedgwick chairman of the
! able attorneys on the floor of the
! house, will work for the bill. 1t is rea-
sonably sure of passage in the house.
The bill provides for the abolishment
| of the railroad board as soon as the
| terms of Office of the present members
shall expire. this board to be replaced
| by the utilities commission of three
members at a salary of $4,000 per year
each to be appointed by the governor.
| The board shall appoint it's secretary
at salary of $4,000 per year and an
| attorney at $1,000 per year and a rate
clerk and two stenographers and two
clerks.
One of the commissioners to be ap-
pointed shall have special training and
| not less than five years experience IN
| the management or operation of a
steam or interurban railroad, one Shall
be a graduate of some standard uni
versity in civil. mechanical or electrl-
4 cal engineering, and one shall possess
] special training in economics and have
had not less than five years experience
| in some university of standing.
| The bill provides that "the term pub
| lie untilities as used in this act shall
refer to every individual, copartner-
| ship, corporation, association or COM
pany engaged in the business of oper-
! ating or managing any street, trolley,
interurban or steam railroad or oil or
gas pipe line, or any telegraph or tele-
! phone line or sleeping or private car
| company or express company or any
plant or line furnishing light, heat or
| power o. water to any city or the in
| habitants thereof whether owned by
municipality or otherwise"
Public utilities are divided into two
! classes local and state. The local
utilities are held to mean all utilities
operating wholly within one county or
within one city only and its environs,
though extending into any adjoining
| county The regulation and control of
these local utilities shall remain with
the mayor and council as under the
present law.
! The exclusive regulation and control
of all state utilities is vested in the
public utilities commission and all the
| laws and powers relating to the pres
ent board of railroad commissioners
relating to common carriers are vest
ed in the utilities commission. The
commission is empowered to require
every utility under its control to fur
nish adequate service and utilities and
to establish just and reasonable rates,
also upon complaint to investigate
rates and charges and service and fix
or adjust these rates, and pass on rates
before they are changed by the utilities
themselves.
Any finding or order of the commits
sion shall be correct and lawful and
be prima facie evidence and be in full
force and effect unless otherwise or
dered by a court of competent juris-
diction. The commission Is also en-
powered to apply to the interstate
commerce commission for relief from
unjust interstate rates. The penalty
for violation of this law is fixed at
$1,000 fine.
The bill by the committee on educa-
ton stirred up lot of debate in the
house this morning before it was final
| " passed and few amendments were
tackled on for the good of the order.
The bill slightly raisej the standard
for granting certificates tc teachers
and was opposed by Ve2tch OF WASH
| ington, who wanted the present stand
and left unchanged IN the interest or
the rural schools.
tilt between Cones of Meade and DR..
! Goddard of Leavenworth over the
/ amendment to eliminate that part of
the requirements for a third grade GER
tfficate relating to the causes and ef-
fects of alcoholic stimulants and
knowledge of the prevention of the
spread of dangerous diseases. The
amendment was passed When Cones
arose to oppose the amendment DR..
/ Goddard questioned him in regard to
his knowledge of such matters. The
doctor declared that he himself could
not secure a certificate under these
lproyisions and he hoped such idiocy''
would be stricken out of the bill. 1t
was. The first section of the bill. be-
fore it was amended to strike out all
| gerous diseases read as follows:
"Certificates of the third grade may
be issued to persons of not less than
lis years of age on passing a salts
| factory examination; provided that
not more than two third grade certifi-
Gates may be issued to the same indf-
vidua1 if the applicant has taught five
months; provided further, that each
applicant for a third grade certificate
shall give satisfactory evid of good
al n a hxy xy-if
grade of seventy-five per cent with nc