The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-05-06

UTILITY BILL
Big Standard Oh I.t:Tests Out
Against Winters Measure.
BURNS DENIES JACKPOT FAKE
Sharse That corrupilor Fund 10
Raised 20 Influence Votes Refuted
by Famous petsetlve-utiIity Con.
trel Blil Approved by senate.

Columbus. o. --(speclal) Tao Win.
tOrs utility bill IS amended By tho
senate committee on railroads and
telegraphs has met with the approval
OF % mepbers Of the senate. After
an all day fight against tho bill by
Standard Oil gas companies tho
amendments were accepted by a vote
of 25 to Z. and It Is prophesIed that
when the measure comes up for pas
sage on Tuesday 1t will receive even
stronger support.
The trust owned gas companies OF
Ohio are against the bin because It
holds them to their contracts. Under
the Winters bill natural gas com
pany can not stop serving sas to a
municipality, as was recently threat.
ened in Cleveland, Columbus. Akron
and other Ohio cities. This Winters
bill puts gas companies under the
control OF state commission. Just as
it does the railroads, electric light
and telephone companies. and with
out interfering In the slightest with
the riShts Of municipalities.
Steam and electric railways are
waiting to jump on the bill at tho
FIRST opportunity II was put up to
Standard Oil to kill the bill in the
senate and falling there the others
will assist the Standard in the effort
to sandbag It in the house.
These interests will get some sup
port IN the house. The plan is TO
amend the bill in such way that
the senate will not agree to the
changes and then send the whole
proposition to a conference commit
tee. In the closing days OF q session
this is an easy way to kill bill
In their efforts TO kill the measure
the Standard oil representatives sue
ceeded in getting a string of trust
owned sensational newspapers 10
print a story to the effect that hun
dred thousand dollar Jackpot had
been raised 10 pass the utility bill.
II 80 happens that one William j.
Burns, the famous graft detective. has
been working on graft cases in Co
lumbus and his operatives are in a
position TO know Just where graft ex
lists. Detective Burns did not want
any meritorious measure nurt be
cause OF his activities In graft cases
and he issued this statement cor.
cerning the fake 100000 jackpot
story:
at is positively amusing the uses
70 which II Is endeavored TO put my
agency during such times az these.
"Take, for Instance, the story Of an
afternoon paper TO the effect that a
100000 Jackpot had been rnlSed to
further the passage OF the pu5llc
utilities bill now pending In the legls
lature In Columbus.
"There ls no question In my mind
but that the opposition to this utlll
ties measure has reserted 10 thc
vaouest kind Of rumors circulated BY
themselves In order TO make II ap
pear that my Investigations hers
would bear them out.
~ do not propose TO have my
agency or any Of my man used In any
proposition TO further tho Interest oi
any special privilege In any matters
now before the legislature.
"Thers has been nothing In ths
methods used 10 further the passage
Of a general utilities bill In the Iesls
lsture that has attracted tho atten
tlen Of myself or any OF my opera
tlVes."
In his defense Of the public utilities
hill In the senate, Senator Todd Of
Franklin county called attention Ia
the fact that both party platforms de-
olared for utility control by the state
Senator Todd told his fellow-mem
bers that the utility bill pending he
fore them met with the demands OF
the planks in both platforms, and NO
one denied the assertion.
In view Of the fact that both par
ties have gone on record on The util
| ity control subject many members
will he forced to vote for the meas
ure because they fear they will not
he able TO explain mo" vote to the
| Teople back home.