Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-11
Chicago VOTERS LEAGUE GIVES
CORRECT FRANCHISE Principles

lighting, heating, refrigerating, power
and other like services, should be for
as short a term as consistent with the
best service to the public; provided,
no grant for term exceeding twenty
years should become effective unless
and until approved on a referendum
All grants to given corporation or
individual should expire at the same
time, and no supplemental or collater-
al grant should run beyond the time
when the main grant expires.
No grant should be made for. any
public utility, without expressly re-
serving to the city the opportunity for
municipal purchase at or before the
expiration of such grant, upon fair
terms and reasonable notice
Every grant for public utility
should be expressly subject to the
right of the corporate authorities of
the city to control the use, improve
ment and repair of the streets, alleys
or other public places granted for that
purpose, and to make all necessary or
appropriate police regulations concern
ing the erection, construction, mainte-
nance, use and operation OF the prop
arty or structure thereby permitted.
Such right of regulation should spe-
officially include the power ID TO make
reasonable regulations of the charges
to be made to the people in the opera
ton of such public utilities, (2l to re-
quire adequate service to the public
and reasonable extensions of such
service and of such public utility
works from time to time, co to re-
quire the use of the most approved
appliances and equipment.
All grants for any public utility
should provide for uniformity and
publicity of accounts and should re-
serve to the city the power to require
properly verified detailed reports, as
well as the power to examine from
time to time the books, accounts,
vouchers and records relating to the
conduct of the business and to verify
the same by an examination of the
actual condition of the property.
All public service corporations are
entitled to fair return on the actual
value of the tangible property employ
ed by them in properly conducting
such public utilities, over and above
ali proper and legitimate expenses
and charges for depreciation and re-
newals. The remaining income from
such public utilities should be con-
served for the people and should be
realized by them either in reduced
rates or a percentage of the receipts
as direct compensation, or both.
'In order that the city council may
inteliigently exercise it's right to fix
reasonable rates and make reasonable !
regulations in connection with the OPP
GRAFTON of public utilities, competent
and trustworthy experts should be en-
gagged from time to time to gather and |
arrange the necessary data, figures
and information on which a correct
Judgment and conclusions may be |
based; and these should be laid be-
fore the council and the public rea-
sonable length of time before any rate
regulation ordinance is adopted.
<.The application of the referendum
to such matters of grave public i'm |
portance as the issuance of municipal |
bonds has for years operated with dis
tinct advantage, and the opportunity /
should be afforded for its application |
10 the settlement of all important pol
icies with reference to public utilities"
a New York Central passenger
train was thrown into the Mohawk /
II ooI, Ao,o