Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-04-17
ILLINOIS SHOWS SIGNS OF
BECOMING PROGRESSIVE.
Bill EnIarging Powers for Control of
State Railroad Commission Ex-
pected to Pass.

| Springfield, ILL.,, April 17.-MissOuri
has joined and Illinois is on the verge
Of joining Wisconsin, New York, Mas
sachusetts, Oregon and other states in
| the nationwide progressive movement
to place public service corporations
under the control and regulation OF
permanent commissions.
The Illinois legislature is almost
certain to pass the pending bill en-
larging the powers of the state rail
road and warehouse commission, Civ
! ing the commission the authority to
fix and enforce rates of common car
riers and including express companies
in that classification.
Even should the other bills placing
all public utilities under the super
vision of commission fail to pass,
principally because of opposition by
the Chicago mayor and council,
friends of the movement insist this
will be the entering wedge that will
shortly place Illinois alongside her
more progressive sister states.
Recent public utterances of corpo-
ration officials show the movement is
rapidly gaining headway not only in
Illinois but in other states. Unexpect-
edly influence has appeared in favor
of commission control but by federal
and not state commissions from Geo.
M. Reynolds, president of the. Cont
mental and Commercial National bank
of Chicago, Henry U. Nudge, presi-
dent of the Rock Island lines, and
Theodore n. Vail, president of the
American Telephone & Telegraph
company, who has unequivocally ap-
proved commission control, view en-
dorsed by Francis ]. Heney, the San
Francisco prosecutor, Stuyvesant
Fish of New York, George Kindel, the
freight rate reformer of Denver, Pres
ident Benjamin Ide Wheeler of the
University of California, and others.
Missouri fell into line when Gov
ernor Hadley signed several bills Civ
ing the railroad commission fuller
powers and authority to enforce its
decisions over common carriers, in
cluding express companies.
The Illinois bill, which has no appa.
rent opposition, elevates the railroad
commission in state matters to the
same position held by the interstate
commerce commission in interstate
matters. An appeal from its decisions
will lie to the circuit court of Sanga-
mon county (of which Springfield is
the county seaD and from there di-
rect to the state supreme court.
Commenting editorially on the bill
the Chicago Record-Herad intimates
that new era in the relations of the
people and public service corporations
has arrived. 1t says:
ut is highly gratifying to know that
the pending bill enlarging the jurisdic-
ton and authority of the railroad
commission and making the law I'M
der which it works comprehensive,
modern and adequate, has been
amended and perfected as the result
of conference which represented all
the great interests concerned-com
mon carriers, shippers, retailers, etc.
Legislation by agreement, without
fierce conflicts of selfish interest, is
eminently desirable wherever it isl
possible.
Legislation by agreement presup-
poses public spirit, enlightened views,
recognition of the inevitable. A sound
measure for the proper
control of common carriers will in
deed be striking tribute to the in
telligence and breadth of our business
community"
The bill has the support of Govern
or Deneen of the Chicago Association
of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacture
ers Association, and others. That it,
is looked upon favorably by the car