Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-22

o)0O0oo
$3.50 for the privilege: that's at the
rate OF about $40 an hour or $3.50
day for the use Of q long distance
phone from here to Pocatello.
Suppose. under those circum-
stances, you were met with an exac-
ton Of that kind? What would you
do about 1t? What could you do? You
would do just like I did. pay the bill
and smile and look pleasant; but you
would determine that at the very first
opportunity. you would get a public
service commission to whom you could
make a complaint and have that sort
of thing Investigated and have 1t de-
termined whether or not that is a fair
rate to pay for the service performed
by a public utility.
Now my friends. those are Just q
few OF the things that indicate the
necessity for a public service COM
mission. We want one, and we are
going to have one, and II this legisla-
ture doesn't give 1t to us, we'll adopt
the initiative amendment this fall, and
then we'll initiate bill OF that kind
and we'll pass 1t anyway.
Let me tell you briefly what I be-
lieve a public service commission
would do for US. 1t would be COM
posed of competent, non partisan men.
business men. men who understood
business affairs, and It would say to
the capital that Is in this state and the
capital that may come into this
state hereafter, You must submit to
reasonable regulation, we'll see to 1t
that you are permitted to charge suf-
ficient rates so after paying operat-
ing expenses and fixed charges. you'll
get fair return upon. the capital in
vested" That's all capital IL entitled
to. and we're all willing it should have
that, but I want TO say. my friends. in
answer to the criticism that such a
commission would ret.rd development,
want to say that it will not; 1t never
has in any other state and 1t will not
here.
And any capital that is not willing
to be reasonably controlled and super
vised and is not satisfied with fair
return is not wanted in the state of
Idaho. (Applause.) On the other hand,
that commission would see to 1t that
the public utilities give to them good
service, at no greater rate than was
necessary to pay reasonable operating
| expenses anu IISeu CIdTSeS anu IL lair
return upon the capital. And, my
friends, capital would come under those
circumstances because 1t would know
that every time the legislature met 1t
wouldn't be harrassed by hostile leg
islation and people would come to the
state Of Idaho because they would
know that here they would get N-om
the public utilities good service, rea-
/ voto toll In oil tn, oil
public service commission would be
a good thing for this state Of Idaho; it
would be a splendid thing for it. 1t
would increase development along a
great many lines, the like of which we
never had. and beyond and above that.
| it would tend to create the conditions
in this state which would promote your
welfare.
Cites Case in North.
I'VE have a water company up in
our country. It charges about two and
a half times what a company ought
to charge, under the circumstances up
there for the water it supplies. Mrs.
Martin and myself paid 81 q month
| for water for domestic purposes in
five-roo bungalow with q modern
bath. and 81 a season--we did up to
! this season at least-$7 a season for
lawn rent, for lawn sprinkling pur-
poses on a 75-f foot frontage. (Someone
in the audience: Come to Boise;
you'll pay $15). But, my friends.
there isn't an official connected with
that water company that Is backing
any man on the Progressive ticket, not
| one. They are all for Governor Haw-
| ley, each one OF them. daughter ana
| applause) and they are for him be-
cause they know that he would never
| approve a bill to put that particular
public utility under supervision and
require 1t to give us reasonable rates.
and every other public utility in this
state, almost without exception, Is
backing either Mr.. Hawley or Mr..
Haines in this fight. either the Re
publican state ticket or the Demo-
cratic state ticket. They are not
backing us. They know that II the
Progressive party is successful in this
state. that the legislature will be elect
ed next November will contain
enough Progressives to pass that kind
Of bill. and they know that II I'm
elected governor. I will sign that kind
OF bill. And It's up to you people
who want that kind of public SER
vice commission to determine whether
you will get In behind us and help us
win your fight for you or whether
you will vote for the men who repre-
sent not you. but the special interests
Of this state.
II want to refer to one or two other
things connected with Governor Haw.
leys record. He has invited US to. and
l an. perfectly willing to talk to you
about that. am not going to call him
an Incompetent or anything OF that