Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-22

Maine. but it is not new, for it is as old
as the common-law itself. Briefly we
may call to mind the fact, familiar to all
of us, that in ancient times under the
rules of the common law, older than the
civilization of this country, there exist
ed a system of control. The miller. by
the very necessities of the case was
obliged to grind the grist of any one
who presented himself and was willing
to nav for the service, the blacksmith in
his turn was obliged to serve the public
without discrimination; the physician
was under the same limitation of the
common law; he was obliged to serve all
who applied. Those three rules of the
common law-that the public utilities
which | have already named should
serve all who applied, and at equal rates,
without Observation-Disclosures a time were
enacted into the statute; but as bust
ness progressed. and as matters became
more complicated in the history of bus
mess. we find that in the early history
of our own country the courts modified
the law gradually, so that We came to
rally almost wholly upon competition to
regulate public utilities, and that was
satisfactory for a generation; bul it is
matter of reason that after time COM
petition failed to accomplish this pur-
pose, and conditions of monopoly arose
which have made the courts ask for dlt-
ferent legislation, and with that problem
this country has been graphing for
more than 80 years. Recognizing that
situation various states of our Union
commenced this system of public control
by the enactment of statutes whieh relat-
ed for instance, to control of the rail-
roads in the United states; and il Is a
matter of history in our country that
this statutory control was not satisfac-
tory, and we know the panics which
have ensued in relation to the railroads
of generation ago. Finally one OF the
New England states-New Hampshire.
our neighbor-enacted a statute which
provided for a railroad commission; this
was in 1874; and SO the railroad commits
sion which is the pioneer in the line OF
public control came into existence in
New England in .lSH-Rhode Island in
the same year: Massachusetts in 1Sia;
Connecticut in 1873; Vermont in 1855. FL
nally our own state of -.aine in 1SoS
formed railroad commission for the
better regulation of the railroads. ! be-
lieHe this arrangement. on the whole,
has been satisfactory so far as ii has
eXtend, q. but with the wonderful
growth ana pcosress i'll the Inns OF
electrical concerns. in the line of tele-
graph and telephone companies. there
has arisen Il demand for further con-
troll; so that we find existing in more
than 80 States a broader commission,
known, it is true, in some States as
the railroad commission. but in many
of the States known as the public
utilities commission commission.
gentlemen, which occupies a peculiar
place il our government. In part
these commissions exercise the funs
tons Of the executive officers. They
are the policemen of business. They
enforce a strict compliance with the
regula tons which should control the
relations between the public and these
vast corporations with which we are
Obliged 70 deal and which are neces-
sary 1T this day of civilization. An
other function Of these commissions
is that they constitute d court IF
YOU finally pass Document 45S, you
will find that we have established in
Maine 4 commission that IS also Il
court That stands between the most
humble member of the public on one
side. for the adjustment of his grev
anse and the most extensively pub
lie utility corporation upon the other
side, and this court is always open,
and will be always open. so long as it
exists, to the adjustment of any abuse
of service or of rates.
| would ike TO disabuse the minds
of everybody present, if | could do it,
of the theory that the public utilities
commission is a law enacted for the
purpose of prosecuting the corpora
tions which provide us with light,
heat. water and transportation. be-
cause that is not the intent OF the
bill This bill centers around one text
embodied in the bill. that in all the
re iations which exist between the pub
lie and the public utilities companies
this rule should be observed. that ser
vice and facilities of public utilities
companies should at all times be rea
sGnable and adequate; and, secondly.
that the rates charged by the public
utilities should at all times be Just
and without Determinations; and when
vol enlarge that text you will find
that it provides that the public utility
company occupying the field in GER
tain city must within reason supply
the demands of that city; must extend
it's service until the public is accom-
modated. and must render it's service
at a ra te which is fair and just to all.
and without discrimination in favor
eff anv customer on The one side and
against the customer on the other.
In the few minutes that are neces-
sarv in the general discussion of the
bill | would like to draw the attention
If the gentlemen to a few facts in re-
lation to the structure of the bill. AS
YOU know, there have been introduced
into this Legislature two drafts of
public utility bill; one of them intro
duced in the Senate, following practi-
calIv the lines Of the Rhode Island
bill, and the other introduced this
House. following practically the lines
of the Wisconsin bill as modified to
meet the demands of our state. These
two bills, as YOU know, were referred
to the special committee from both
House. Extensive hearings We're held
bv this sub committee; many eXecu-
tive sessions were held. These bills,
with q score of others, We're carefully