Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-29

OOlOrhuo springs, COL, Aug. %
Governor Edward F. Dunno of Illinois
today addressed the national confer
ence OF governors on "The Growth of
Public Control OF Utilities" He said:
Prior TO the year 1905. practically all
municipal utilities and all other public
utilities excepting railroads and ware
houses were conducted in the different
states Of the United States, Massachu-
sets excepted, free from state control.
Nearly all OF them were privately
owned by private corporations or in
dviduals. The avowed aim and object
OF these privately owned utilities was
70 make money for their owners and
stockholders in furnishing the product
Of these utilities to the consumers
thereof.
Being free Of governmental control,
the temptation of the owners to make
as much money as possible within the
limits Of their charters was strong;
and almost universally the owners
yielded 10 the temptation. BY means
of extortionate charges, and often by
cheap and inefficient service. the stock
holders swelled their dividends at the
expense Of the unprotected and ex-
plotted consuming uublic
So enormous became the dividends
OF these private owners OF these utili-
ties and so grievous the impositions
upon the ordinary citizen consumer,
that the people at last lost patience,
resented their exploitation. and went
20 the Polls with the demand for the
redress Of intolerable conditions. In
some localities II took the form OF the
demand for public or municipal owner
ship, as in the great city OF Chicago.
where in 1905 a mayor was elected
upon a municipal ownership platform.
In other localities, as in the states of
Wisconsin and New York, It took the
form Of demand for state control OF
these utilities. In both of these states
public utility commissions were Gre
ated by law. which were given more
or less drastic control over all the
public utilities OF these states Since
this time the demand for either public
ownership or public control OF these
utilities has been heard around the
whole world. Public ownership has
since been put into force TO a greater
or less degree over steam railroads,
street railroads and telegraph, tele-
phone, gas, water and electric light
plants in Great Britain, France. Ger
many, Switzerland. Austro-Hungary,
Russia, South Africa, Australia, Brazil
and other countries. Indeed, in Great
Britain the movement towards public
ownership began long before 1905
The spread Of public ownership in the
United States has been limited mostly
however, TO water, gas and electric
light plants. The demand for ade
uuate public control has grown apace
in recent years among all OF the pro-
gressiye states OF the union II has al
ready been crystallized into law in %
states Of the union in the following
chronological order:
1907.
a. New York, ~ Wisconsin.
1903
Co Vermont.
1910.
CD Maryland
1911.
90 Washington, 90 Nevada, %
New Hampshire. 81 Kansas. 90 New
Jersey, G0) Connecticut, I'D Ohio.
1912
12l California, q3j Rhode Island
(14) Oregon, (l5J Arizona.
1913
GGl Missouri. GO Illinois. us
Maine. G9) Colorado. (20) West Vir
ginia, l2lJ Indiana, (22) Montana.
Illinois has just adopted a most com
prehensive law on the subject
The method pursued has been tina
which was first inspired and outlined
by senator La Toilette in Wisconsin
which placed the absolute control o
all such utilities in so far as fxinl
rates and regulating the schedules ant
operation OF these utilities in the hands
Of public utility commission appoint
ed by the governor
The law which has been in force il
Wisconsin for about six years ha
been pronounced by many OF the ad
vanced thinkers Of the day as the hes
and fairest law as vet enacted for tn
control Of public utilities in the inter
est OF the commonwealth. II is claim
ed for II that II is securing for tn
citizens Of Wisconsin adequate servic
ct reasonable rates without working
confiscation or injustice 10 the owner
OF these utilities. 1, is certain tina