The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-08-21

The governor should nave authority
to remove such commissioners for
proper cause shown, but upon public
hearing so as to prevent the exercise
of undue influence or dictation by
executive authority.
8. Segregation From Political In
f,uence 7 is recognized as primary
pripcip. Z ii the settlement of every
controversy that the acting judges
should be free from bias and prejudice
and personally disinterested in the
results. Let up apply this to the con-
troversy between the public utility
CORPORATION and the municipal official.
In most cases he has been elected up
on an issue involving the public util
ity in question. He has often made
his campaign either for or against
certain contentious of the utility cor.
poration, is dependent for his renomi-
nation and reelection upon the set
Element of a controversy in a certain
way, and is, therefore, personally in
terested in the controversy. Should
he be permitted to sit as judge in a
contest involving his own personal
and political interests? Every sense
of fairness and justice will rebel
against such a conclusion. The ad-
Indication should be made after thor
ough investigation and report Of e1.
perts by competent commission
which has no personal interest in the
controversy and is wholly Independent
Of local conditions, politically or other
wise.
4. Expert Service and Equipment.
Effective regulation involves also the
best possible expert service and
equipment. In testing the quality as
we'll as quantity of light, heat, power,
water telephone, telegraph, and trans
portation service, in making physical
valuations of such properties, In
checking, examining, and auditing
books, accounts and securities, and in
collating, classifying and analysing all
facts in connection Herewith, the en-
ployment of skilled experts and valu-
able equipment is absolutely essential,
and the average municipality cannot
afford the expense n nected there
with. With such expert service and
equipment, as well as the necessary
authority vested in the state, all mu-
inequalities and rural communities
would have at their disposal the
means of solving on just basis any
problem connected with their public
utilities, no matter how intricate and
difficult
S. Public HeaIth.-Public health
affords another important phase in the
consideration of efficiency. The test
ing of water in the interest of public
health is in the first instance NUM-
cipal problem, but where disputes
arise or where the municipalities re-
fuse to act, the state must step in
and enforce the observance of sanitary
laws and regulations. This is func-
ton for the state board of health, but
the experts of the public service com.
mission should be employed SO as to
prevent the duplication of state equip
ment. Our supreme court has held
that municipalities are responsible for
damages to persons and property
caused by neglect to properly guard
public health, and no city should be
permitted to allow unsanitary condi-
tions within it's borders, because the
breeding of disease in one city af-
fects every other community by inter
communication.
6. Continuity Of Service and Civil
Service Promotons.-Lastly, efficiency
is dependent largely upon continuity
of service and promotions under the
merit system. The public service
commissioners should be appointed
without regard to political affiliations
and for a sufficient number of years,
so that the term of only one commits
sioner may expire every, or preferably
every other, year. Through this meth
cd majority of the commissioners
will always be experienced in service
and as far as possible made indie.
pendent of political changes in the
state administration. All employees
should be under strict civil service
and promoted for merit only. Under
constantly changing city administra-
ton, tho regulating authority is not
sufficiently permanent and the ap-
pointm ents are too apt to be bar.
gained away under the spells system
That this is. not the case under state
control is demonstrated by the expe-
rience of public utilities commissions
in other states, as we'll as by the rec
ord of our tax commission, board of
control of state institutions, and other
similar state commissions. A study
of state control, as tested in actual
operation, should convince the most
skeptical that when the state service
is made more permanent, removed
from politics and the appointing chief
executive held subject to the will of
the people under the initiative, refer
endum and recall, the commi-cion will
not develop into a political organiza,
| ton.
II. ECONOMY.
1. Control of Securities.-One OF
the most important features of state
regulation is the complete control af-
forded over the issuing of certificates.
This is necessarily state function,
because these securities are issued un-
dor state authority and the municinoli