The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-09-19
PERTINENT news OF
STATE With our
| own Comment
Better Men are Needed in the
legislature Says North
Idaho Paper.
CAMP Is COMING BACK"

Bank Depositors Sue Surety Com
pany-No Sympathy for Orchard
North Idaho Suu Complaining of
Not Getting Square Dea1-Utlhties
Commission Poor Investment.
The Franklin County Citizen Of
Preston is OF the oplnlon that the
State Public Utilities Commission Is
poor investment. 1t cannot see any
return to the people winch Jusrines
the cost, and advises the governor to
releGate It to the scrap heap OF mis-
guiaed engergles." Inc Clllzen con-
\ tinues: out the truth nevertheless
remains that its status OF usefulness
never really existed, and laaho can
very well dispence with its valuable
services"
1t seems to US that this is little
early to question the usefulness Oh
the Public Utilities COMMISSION. The
law creating the commission was pass
ed less than SIX months ago. 1t car
ried no emergency clause and did not
60 into erect until sixty days after
the adjournment Or the legislature.
II it had started saving money tor the
people; systematlzing their system Oh
taxation; and settllng the dlnerenCes
between the people and pubic service
corporations; on the exact Gay upon
which 1t was authorized, only tour
months time has Deen at Its disposal
AS matter OF tact after their ap-
pointment the members OF the COM
MISSION had to Iamalarize themselves
with the law and ascertain their dutles.
q 1t was PROBABLY SIXTY days before they
s*GOt down to business. 1t seems to Us
That IN the last oU days the commls-
sion has accomplished as much as
could reasonably be expected. lhe
Il one matter OF investigating the as
y seSsments of the dIuerenI counties
would take the time OF three men TOR
4 at least SIXTY days. In addition to
investigating the tax system the COM
mission has found time to attend to
a number of matters which are prop
erIy within the province OF puDnc
utllities commission. We frankly
confess that, In our opinion the tax
commission and the puDiic utilities
commission should be two separate
and dlsunct bodies. In the interests
4 OF economy they were made one.
4 The question OF taxes was immediate
and pressing. The Commission was
in duty bound to attend to assess
ment OF property and the equalization
of assessments at once, hence the
purposes Ior which the commission
was really created were compelled to
wait.
The people of the state have very
different iaea of the necessity OF the
commission than does the Citizen
They have SO long been at the mercy
OF railroads, power and telephone
companies, to realize that they aione
are poweriess. there must be some au-
thoriry somewhere to see tnat tney nave
L tairly good service at reasonable cost.
That the public service corporal ems
; were OF the opinion that the commits
sion would be benent to the people
is shown by the emnity with wnicn
they always regarded such an author
ity. At the present time there are
several matters pending before the
commission. The decisions OF tns
COMMISSION are eagerly awaited
here IN Canyon county number O.
farmers are seeking reliet IRON wna'
they regard as extoruonate charges
on the part of the telopnone company
After these decisions are handed Gown
will be soon enough to question the
usefulness of the COMMISSION.
In connection with TINS matter the
New time OF Mountain Home COM
plans that the pubic utliities De
partment OF the commission was givei
TOO much money and the tax com
MISSION too little. The New Iim'
should keep in mind that this IS reall,
q public utilities commission and th'
taxation duties were added as al
after thought. AS this was the hrs
appropriatlon made by an Idaho leg
stature tor this purpose 1t can "
justly excused tor not rightly appor
tloning the FUNDS tor the two pur
poses, il 1t did not do SO. Howeve
$oU,UUU for the Pubic Utilities Com
MISSION was not too muon. wnil'
$hu.VuO for the tax commission ma!
have been too little. these are mino
mistakes which time and experienced
will teach us to avoid.