Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-26
SEVERAL CHANGES MADE FOR
PURPOSE OF STRENGTHENING
BILL.
WIDELY DIFFERENT FROM
PENDING HOUSE BILL
Commissioner Thorns Finds Many OBJ
jections to Senate Bill a. Framed
and Issues Statement Urging Adop-
ton Of House Plan-UtiIities Men
AppeaHPoItiicai Gossip.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, March 26.-Yesterday
was great day on the question of
how to handle public utilities and
regulate them. The senate spent all
day on the subject, taking up the Crist
committee bill, adopting amendments
proposed.
The bill as amended SO far provides
for Transforming the present railroad
commission into public utilities COM
mission. Two new members will be
added by appointment Of the governor
at this time, but later, on the expira-
ton Of the terms of the present elected
members of the commission, the utili-
ties commission will be reduced to
membership of three. all to be subject
to appointment rather than election.
Wide Difference in Bills.
The committee amendments sug-
gested We're all adopted. and this it is
regarded makes the bill much better
than it was, tho still it differs very
widely from the house measure.
The house bill was the subject of
discussion at a general committee
meeting in the hall of the house, where
spokesman for sundry and various cor
porations that would come under the
bill talked at length against the house
bill. Among those who talked We're
W. F. Bellamy, Knoxville; Joe r. Lane,
Davenport; w. F. Sweeney Des
Moines: Howard ]. Clark, Des Moines;
James F. Parrish, Des Moines: c. C.
Saunders, Council Bluffs; and P. G..
Holdegel, Des Moines. The telephone
interests, the gas and water compan-
les, interurbans, and other special in
terests were all represented.
Thorne Opposes Senate Measure.
An analysis of the bills by Clifford
Thorne and pointing out Of their diff
ferences shows that the two houses
are yet for apart.
unfortunately" said Mr. Thorne, at
is not correct to say that the commit
tees Of the senate and house have got
together on a utilities bill. There arc
| some fundamental differences between
the two bills; some Of these differences
involve matters so basic that congress
| fought for ten years over similar ques-
tions in our national law. Person
ally. favor the house bill. Principal
! collections to- the senate bill are as fol-
!! lows:
1.-THE granting Of exclusive and per-
petual franchises goes directly against
the whole trend of modern legislation
and thought on these matters; in fact
our present Iowa statutes absolutely
prohibit any city granting either of
these. If an indeterminate permit is to
be granted, there must be some easy
method of terminating it. The senate
bill throws the whole matter into the
courts, state and federal. The method
the senate bill, as amended provides.
is that after a favorable vote by the
people on the proposition the COM
mission shall determine the value,
which shall be 'prima facie fair. rea-
sonable and just In other words YOU
can appeal to the district court. you
must have the value determined by
condemnation proceedings, with the ac-
complaining jury trial. The case is
subject to appeal to the supreme court.
and to the federal courts. In order
to see how this works out in actual
practice one has only to contemplate
the experience, of Des Mofnes and her
street railway. Under this plan 1t will
take years of expensive litigation be-
fore any city can purchase.
when an indeterminate permit is
given 1t should only be given upon con-
dition that the company valves court
proceedings, and is willing to accept
the commissions findings as final,
without the sinterminable court pro-
ceedings. The house bill so provides.
Bill Behind Times.
ION all other matters the commits
sion's findings OF facts, like those Of a
jury, should be conclusive, subject to
constitutional and statutory limitations
only. The senate bill is twenty-five
years behind the times in this respect.
A quarter century ago when the rail-
road law was being framed for Iowa.
Senator Cummins, then in the legisla-
ture, fought to make the findings If