Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-25

Thorne and II. S. ketchum, OF the state
railroad commission and Representa-
tive w. F. Stipe, of C!arinda. Inc tat
ter was chairman of the house commit
tee on public utilities and was one OF
those who attacked the conference OIL
before the convention.
| Senator s. w. DeWolf, Of Reinbeck
who was chairman of the senate COM
mittee on public utilities. and who was
expected to present view of the Dill
from the senate standpoint, was not
present. As a result the conference
bill which was attacked, and which
was made mostly from the senate Dill
lacked defender.
Stips Leads Attack.
Lacking this defense. Representative
Stipe explained the principal features
of the senate bill and then attacked IT,
The chief difference between the senate
and the house bills, he said. was that
while the senate measure sought hrst
to insure the stability of investments
and income in public service utliltles'
and secondarily to safeguard the IN
terests Of the consr mer. the house DIN
aimed first to protect the consumer ana
by doing Justice TO him to thus insure
the STABILITY and safeness of the IN
vestnent and the interests OF the pun
lie service corporations.
He explained. in tracing back the real
source of the senate measure. that II
was in very large party copy OF the
public service commission hill that had
heen prepared hv a committee or the
National Civic Federation. This COM
mittee was composed of men all OF
whom were interested in public service
CORPORATIONS, either as investors or OF
ficer.
Attacks Indeterr,inate Franchise.
REPRESENTATIVE Stipe particularly at
tackled that clause of the senate nli!
providing for indeterminate franchises
for public service corporations he
confidently predicted that within re"
wears the state would have publlc
service commission. and he asked tne
question: "What kind of a commission
are you going to have, and what KIM
of a law are you going to have to gov
ern it?" He put the answer up to the
convention, but warned 1t that puoilc
service corporations would go on ana
on, grasping whatever they could, put
that they were entitled to no more than
a fair return for their investment based
on fair and just rates and valuations.
Ford Defends Cities.
From the standpoint OF municipal
tiles Mayor J. F. Ford, Of Fort Dodge,
took issue with the conference bill and
particularly certain phases Of 1t in
long and thoughtful paper. He object
ed to the clause in the bill giving the
proposed commission less judicial
power than district court. In other
words the bill provided that appeal
could be taken from any ruling or order
Of the commission to the district court.
ana from that court up and up. His
argument was that the bin should have
been framed providing for appeal of-
rect from the commission to the state
supreme court.
He also argued against the provision
of the bill that the consent Of the COM
mission was first necessary before the
people Of city could have change to
say whether or not a public service
corporation should have franchise In
that city.
Competition Gets Results.
Such procedure might stifle compe-
tition in public service, he said. And
the Fort Dodge mayor went on to show
that competition had accomplished in
some states that have a public service
commission; what the commission Of
those states could have or had accom-
plished. He quoted rates for toll tele-
phone service in Minnesota, without a
commission but with competing lines,
that were much lower than for the
same service the same distance in Wis
consin, that had commission. Similar
statistics for electricity were quoted
from California and western cities to
show the effect Of competition, partic-
ularly with municipality owned plants.
WEIGH Takes . Hand.
From the convention floor r. L.
WEIGH, city solicitor Of Knoxville,
added his protest against the confer
ence bill. He pointed out the cir
cuituous route of procedure for ap-
peals according to the povisions of the
bill governing this detail, which he
intimated were IN the bill for the OBJ
vious purpose of making process te-
dious He said the bill lacked so
many things which the cities Of Iowa
wanted that the legislature could not
expect anything but opposition from
the League Of Iowa Municipalities.
Assessment Suit Cost $1,000.
1t has cost the league $1,000 already
to bring suit against the state exec
utive council to compel it to have
property assessed at some where near
full value for taxes. B. P. Hoist, OF
Boone, chairman of the committee on
this suit. reported to the convention.
The case is still pending. but the
higher property valuation assessed this
year is one of the results. The other
members of the committee were Sec
rotary F. G. Pierce. city, and Mayor
]. F. Ford, of Fort Dodge. The money
was raised by voluntary subscriptions
from cities and towns that are mem
bers Of the league
Asks for Legislative Fund.
In his report for the committee on
legislation. which spent much OF the
time last winter at hes Moines while
the general assembly was In session,
Mayor Farley Sheldon, Of Ames. sug-
gested that a fund of not to exceed
5000 be provided for the expenses Of
this committee. The money will I'M
doubtedly be set aside for that pur-
pose at the business session today.
Webster City has municipal light
ing and power plant that cost $4,000
above the cost Of operations. accord
ing to a report OF the committee on
street lighting. read by r. ]. Muffin.
superintendent Of the water and light
plant Of that city.
Go Riding In shower.
In spite OF the showers Marshall
town Club members were ready with
their automobiles to take the dele