Evening journal., 1912-03-07
THURSDAY, MAR. 7. 1912
THE LARGER QUESTION.

~ HE decision of the Federal Court granting an
\ injunction to prevent the Public Utilities
Commission from collecting fine of 500 a day
against the Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction
Company for refusing to restore the strip tickets
is, of course, blow to those who have
been fighting TO exercise regulation over this mon
opolistic corporation
In some degree the decision was not unexpected,
hut il merely points out very clearly that the fight
of the people against the Wilmington and Philadel-
phia, Traction Company has merely begun. The
people will win in the end in Delaware just as they
are winning in every other community.
1t is the contention of the commissioners
that the Traction Company was given
opportunity to present its side of the case The
commissioners as we understand it would have
been glad to hear any defense the Wilmington and
Philadelphia Traction Company might make.
The commissioners we're new at their duties-an
attempt to regulate public service corporations
something new in Delaware, and the court states
that there we're irregularities in the method of pro-
cedure on the part of the commissioners.
AS matter of fact the entire question Of the reg
ulaton Of our Public Utilities was mixed up dur
ing the session Of the legislature, due to the
-scheming of those who trying to knock in the
head any attempt to. regulate the public service
corporations.
Brushing aside the import of the courts decision
for the moment the larger view to be taken is
that the fight of the public exercise control over
the public utilities of this city and state will not
be halted by any legal decisions.
Obstacles may be thrown in the way, il NAV be
long and tedious struggle but the day of public
service corporations holding monopolistic fran
cnises permitting them TO fix rates as they please
and IN fact to do as they please has passed in many
other states and is passing in Delaware
The demand for the regulation of public utilities
by the people is founded in both truth and Justice
We have often said that the ideal way to deal with
all public utilities is municipal ownership outright
nut that to many American cities at this time seems
impracucable. But it won't be impractical for very
long. When the people grasp the idea of muni-
cipal government, when they appreciate thar a
municipality is not something to be used as a foot
ball for partisan politicians and predatory corpor
atoms, the people will know that all public utilities
should be owned by them
The next best step as The Journal has often
pointed out is regulation of these public service
corporations that operate under franchises obtain.
ed from the public The value of such franchises
is of the chief assets of such corporations and
this very fact alone gives to the people the right
TO say what shall be done with those franchises
In the case of the Wilmington and PHILADELPHIA
Traction Company the Public Utilities Commission
supported by City Council and by all other public
spirited citizens and by all citizens who are not
muzzled and manaced should fight this strip ticket
question to a finish.
The city should exhaust every means within it.
power to sustain in every way possible the mair
contention of the commissioners which is the righ
to regulate the Wilmington and Philadelphia Trac
ton Company-for that is the chief question tha
is now before the people And the largest question
involved is the right of the public as against tn,
right of m0nOpOlistic corporations.