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

come within the scope of the bill Most
of the amendments that have been
submitted in the Senate and in the
House relate to this Section 9. and
| will say in passing, before those (
amendments are taken up here, that
many of the amendments which have
been submitted in absolutely good
faith | understand, and believe, were
submitted because sonic gentlemafi
had not had the time to consider
the whole of Section g. and he be-
lieved that in Paragraph 6 an amend
ment was necessary; but when his
attention was drawn to the matter
and he read Paragraph 8, for Illus
tration, he found these two definitions
dovetail together, SO that the bill al
ready contained, in some instances, the
very provisions which he was seeking
to insert by amendment In those
amendments. and in all others, gentle
men, | will assure YOU that the atti
tude of the committee is that we de-
sire, as is proper and right, the most
extensive consideration of these
amendments at your hands, and we
have no pride of opinion about this
bill our purpose is. like yours, to Sc
cure the best possible bill. Wherever
an amendment has appeared to us IN
be of benefit we have been unani-
nous for it's acceptance, believing that
the work of the subcommittee could
be improved upon, and we regret only
that we have not more time, and you
have not more time. for a more COM
pletc investigation and examination of
this subject.
Section 10 of the bill. gentlemen be-
gins under the title of Rates and ac-
counting" 1t leads YOU to understand
chiefly that the accounts of every pub
lie utility desiring to do business
within the borders of the State Cf
Maine are at the disposal of the COM
mission for examination and approval.
The only possible way under which 4
commission can regulate the rates Of
Il public utility, and be fair to the
company and fair To the public. is FOR
the commission To have access to ev-
cry single bit of Information. and To
the history OF the company and to
the business of the company. and
We have endeavored to insert in this
bill ample provisions for the examina-
ton and for ethe control of the ac-
counts of these public corporations.
Several amendments We're submit
ted To your sub committee which
would have n tendency to change the
existing laws of the State in relation
to important matters in public utili-
ties, and | announce now, as the
unanimous vote of the committee, that
in all these matters we have been gov
erned by this purpose: that we were
enaeting n public utilities commission
bill for the control of matters as they
exist now, and we have refused. eX-
eept in one or two unaVoida BILE in
stances, TO insert in this bill any pro.
visions of statute law which Will
change the existing policy of the State
Several amendments We're submitted
to us in relation To railroads which
personally we may believe to be de-
sirable: but we have taken the ground
that those amendments should como
before this House and the Senate in
separate bills by themselves; and for
obvious reasons We did not consider il
wise To insert in this bill a provision
in relation to grade crossings. for in
stance. which of itself might draw
down opposition on that one PROPOSE
ton that would have a tendency to
wreck the entire bill; but we hav1
made an exception in one or two
cases. and they will he touched upon
at the proper time. On Page 20 and
u occurs Section SO. in relation to
the investigation of accidents We
have changed an existing statute in
this instance because we found the
practice in relation TO public service
corporations in other states has prov
ed it To be wise that the public SER
vice commission should have control
OF the investigation of all accidents on
railroads or any public utility. for the
sole purpose that. the service of these
utilities might be improved and that
their appliances might be made more
safe for the public and the workmen.
In Section "a we have provided for
a physical valuation TO be made at the
hands OF the commission-a section
that is brief. but important: and
believe it is remarkable that in all
the list of amendments nothing has
been presented which affects Section
"a in any vital point.
The original draft of the Wiscon-
SIN bill. as presented to the House, did
not so to the extent that the present
new draft does in relation to the an-
prevail of stocks bonds and notes.
believe your committee made an exesks
haustive search and examination ef
more than dozen public service
bills before we agreed and approveds
Section 80 and the following sections
relating to that title. ha5f
Section SO contains another in
stance where we have departed from
the existing policy of tho State of
Maine in our statute law, in relating
to the physical connection provided
for telephone lines and telegraph COM
panies that connect the railroads. The
section is there, easy of understanding,
but when We consider it we see
that it is one of far reaching
consequence, and probably nothing in
this bill more directly affects the increas-
ed service that may be demanded of pub
lie service corporations than does that
one for, in the hands of wise commits
sion, the public has at its disposal a
remedy for transportation troubles. anu
telephone and telegraph companies have
hot to-,