The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-02-17
Public Utilities

Public Utilities
Senator George Wright has a bill
providing that all public utilities shall
DO placed under the supervision OF the
department of the railroad commits.
sioners. The plan is to have the same
regulation of the telephone. telegraph
etc, that the state maintains over the
railroads.
present system is that there is prac-
tically no basis upon which charges
of u%nfairness can be made against a
corporation. There is no way in
which the state can legitimately get
at the facts regarding the actual cost
Of maintenance of any of these big
concerns: what their expense of trans
acting business NAV be or to determ-
inc their profits. These are the very
facts required before equitable and
satisfactory adjustment of m dis
putes can be settled.
The Wright bill would seem to owe
come these objections. The railroad
commission is given the power to
value all public utilities of the state
and these utilities are compelled to
keep and render periodically to the
commission, accurate and uniform &C
counts of their business. The books
Of the firms shall be open to inspec-
ton at all times. The commission is
delegated the authority to determine
and order necessary and reasonable
rates, charges and regulations. They
are to keep informed of all new en-
struction and keep records of the cost.
When rate schedules are determined,
thy shall be recorded and the files
shall be accessible to the public a.
all times. This feature of publicity
it might be added, is in exact accord
with the we'll known views of former
Governor Folk of Missouri.
When a corporation charges more
than the published rate, they will
have violated the law and are subject
to penalty.
Amy reliable mercantile or manu-
featuring society or any body of TWEEN
ty-five or more persons may render
complaint to the commission, which
shall be deemed sufficient for an in
v~estigaticn. The commission may ap-
point an agent for the investigation
and if the complaint is found to be
justifable, the corpo~a ticn must stand
the cost. Should a municipality at any
time desire to purchase a utility, they
may do so at a fair valuation of the
property which shall be determined
by the commission.
The bill is looked upon very favor
ably by many of the influential men,
bers of the senate.
Representative Serman's House Bill
No. IL, is having a hard time g-ttn-
out OF the committee wit t bein
loaded down with amendments. hut
there is hope of it's escaping. The bill
provides for the incorporation o. cites
under commission. objection has been
laised to the idea of having the COZ,
mission revoke the licenses of saloons
Certain persons, it seems, VIC Il p Q
fer to have this done by process o.
law. which would mean the loss O.
weeks and possibly months in the
courts. The supreme corrt 'as md
rulings which grant the m"nicipa'itios
the power to revoke licenses without
carrying the matter into the CO r 9.
Regarding salaries, it has been sug
gested hat they be arranged on ?
pei DuSlS. lhC w WIN
this plan is that certain commission
ers, on account of certain duties NIT
receive much larger salaries than 9TH
ers that have Equal responsibilities.
Following out their suggestions in
the Soldiers Home report the mem
bers of the investigating committee
have introduced a bill in both hoTsos,
calling fer q board OF cont ,ol, con ist-
ing OF three members. for the home.
The head Of the institution woull be
known as s permit ndent and nett e.
he nor the board members need be
old so 'diers. Military discipline would
be dispensed with and provision is
made that Disabled soldiers of the
Philippine instruction can be mn
inmates. as we'll as veterans of the
other wars.
Representative Bigelow's primary
bill and school code both get a chance
at being heard on the floor of the
house by their being reported favor
ably by the committee. The latter is
made imperative until after the ses-
sion of the legislature of 1913. in order
that it might receive full considera-
ton by the people.