Bisbee daily review., 1911-04-11
IN CHIGAGO WILL BE PUSHED ON,
 SAYS PR0GREESSSIH!EES


 consin and New York state by con- mission, but the check will be only temporary in Chicago It may prove to have gained impetus The city bad begun sowing problems concerning It's telephones. street cara lighting. railroad terminals and eft oiency of the public service, by non partisan and non-political comrnis- sions Of which the Merriam com mission is conspicuous. The results have been successful
 Bills Now Pending.
 Several bins that enlarge the scope and powers of such eonmis- sions are now pending in the ils- nois legislature largely as the cut come of Chioagos experiments These bills are not expected 10 pass at this session. but they will pave tue way for probable favorable ac- ton at the next session, just as their way was paved by the work cf the special efficiency commission ap- pointed by the Chicago common council of which Merriam was chair man and the leading figure
 The commission method of regu lating public utilities has become a cause. Afi. Merriam insists that he has jus; begun to fight He will continue his efforts ia behail of progressive measures. notwifh, standing defeat in this election
 Take Advsneed Position.
 Some of the "progressiSesr see encouragement for their cause from the direction of officials of public service corporations. some. of whom have taken an advanced position on the question O. public control ana regulation. President Theodore N. Vail of the American Telephone 6 Telegraph company in his recen. anndal report took up that, problem. 4 few other notables among coTpoT- ation officials are rapidly comins around to a similar view
 Public control or regulation. said Mir Vail, 'has come and come t0 stay. Control or regulation exeg> cised through such a body has many advantages over that exercised through such a body has many ad- vantages over that exercised through regular legislative bodies or com mittees. The permanent commission will be a quasi-judicial body. 1t should be made no of members whose duty it will be, and who will have the desire, she time and the opportunity. to familiarize them selves with the question coming be fore them. It should act only after thorough investigation and be gov crned by the equities Of each case. f would in time establish a course of practice and precedent for the guidance or all concerned.
 Lessons of Experience.
 Experience also has demonstrated that this supervision should stop at control and regulation and not man age. operate nor dictate what the management should be beyond the requirements of the greatest eficien- 1 cy and economy.
 Such control can and should stop all abuses of capitalization. or ex. 1 tortion or of overcharge, of unrea- sonabie division of profits.
 ! If there is 10 be state control and regulation. there should also ] be state protection-protection tC a corporation striving to serve the whole community (scme part ol whose service must necessarily be unprofitable) from aggressive com ! re;ifioD which covers only thai part which is profitable
 The several bills pending before the legislature. on behalf of which , slT. Merriam appeared before the committees. propose to do pretty much what Mir Vail outlined iron his viewpoint as the right procedure Representative Rawleigh, who ii also mayor of Freeport, introduced a bill which gives the State railroad and warehouse commission juris diction over water. gas, electric and telephone companies outside Chi cago, with power to require stand ard service and product and to reg aiate rates. It Is somewha. similai 10 the. Wisconsin law
 Progressive Symptoms.
 Illinois Is showing symptoms O ] becoming progressive on this sub ject Senator EtteisOn has intro dGeed bill providing for one com mission for Chicago and one fo the rest of the state. giving super