Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-17
Lookev-O,, In Iona

| the legislature concerning q public util-
tiles commission are now under
discussion and there IL consid-
cradle interest in the matter. this
even outside the larger cities. Mr.. c.
E. Walters. an attorney for the Tama
and Toledo Electric Light Company
has been investigating this matter very
extensively. getting opinions from out
side states. mad has appeared before
our legislative committees. Mr.. Wal
tiers when requested to give the readers
of the T.-R. his opinion on the subject
| says:
we now have vested in our local
municipalities authority to grant fran
chises and prescribe the terms and con-
ditions and the authority to control and
regulate these public utilities within
the borders of such municipalities. The
municipalities are also given the right
to own, operate and control municipal
plants. II. however, the municipality
and the public utility company can not
agree upon what is reasonable, ana
proper control and regulation. there
is now provided no plain. speedy or
adequate method OF appeal to any ap-
peliate body authorized to hear and adj
Indicate or adjus, the controversy.
Again. there is a bigger. larger and
broader sense in which the problem APP
neals 10 me. and that is that our pub
lie utilities heretofore largely confined
to our cities and towns. have and now
are rapidly spreading to the rural dis
tricts. The rural districts already have
free mail delivery. telephone and the
telegraph passes their door; our cleo
trio light companies are extending their
wires out side Of and beyond the borders
of the municipalities and furnishing
curren, to individuals and municipali-
ties beyond the borders of the munich
pality where the power plant is located:
city water works. in some places. are
extending beyond the municipal limits
and could afford connections 10 resi-
dents outside the corporate limits; gas
nlants may possibly he extended be-
yond municipal border At Iowa Falls.
for many years. was located an electric
light plant, which strung high tension
wires across the intervening country to
the municipality OF Alden and lighted
tina, town as we'll: they refused TO fur
risl, the farmers along the line current.
and if they had desired. they could
have asked an exorhitan, price. which
the farmer would have had to pay did
he receive the service.
There are other plants extending
their wires beyond the corporate linn
its 10 my personal knowledge. There is
no power reposed in any municipality
or body Of men nor in any one man to
regulate these utilities which have a
right to occupy our highways. and
which in some instances possess the
right of eminent domain. SO far as the
public is concerned outside of the city
or corporate limits: in other words.
there is no power reposed anywhere to
compel utility company TO furnish
the rural community thru which it
runs, power or currant. water or gas.
or transmission Of messages at reason
able rates: nor is power vested any
where controlling the method OF con-
struction or kind Of material to be
used or the manner of operation of the
utility outside of the corporate linn
its. This being true. these utilities
cease TO he entirely local and become
in a sense statewide utilities and
ought by reason thereof to be con-
rrolied outside as we'll as inside city
and town limits and my solution of
the problem is that there should be
such commission created with orig
inal jurisdiction over utilities 80 far as
the same are beyond and outside OF the
corporate limits Of the towns and cit
les reserving TO the cities and towns
complete control and regulation OF
public utilities within their borders.
with the right, however, to appeal
from the orders. rules and regulations
Of the cities and towns. by either the
municipality. public utilities or any
citizen interested to the state COM
mission. We would thereby retain To-
cal control of ali public utilities, ex-
cept insofar az they might be de-
prived thereof By reason of the neces :
sity for uniform and equitable regu-
lation and control and wherein they
had made unjust or unreasonable and
unnecessary rules and regulations. in
terferirg with the rights guaranteer
the utility company under the law.
Z believe the utilities are becoming
Of such general and ate-wide import
ance that they should be subject to the
control outside as we'll as inside the
municipality by one body in general.
with original Jurisdiction over util-
tiles outside corporate limits and ap-
pellate jurisdiction over those within
corporate limits in order that regula-
ton may be uniform and Just. both to
the public outside as we'll as inside the
municipalities and to the public util-
tiles whether inside or outside or
whether both inside and outside the
boundaries Of municipality: in other
words. the strongest reason that pre-
sents itself to my mind for the passage
Of such measure is the necessity for
protecting the public residing outside
and the utilities companies operating
beyond the municipal borders as well
as protecting the residents and util-
tiles companies operating in the mu-
nicipality."
Coming as this does from an at
torne that represents one OF the cor
porations Of Iowa that would be under
the control OF public utilities COM
mission. II is interesting to read as
the view point of one corporation that
has no objection to the control OF a
public utilities commission.
a% MA7~~