The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-01-22
1t Seeks to Doctor" the Pub
lie Utilities Bill Entered in
the Senate by Senator
Shively.
FRIENDS OF BILL
RALLY TO SUPPORT
Senate Chamber Was Crowd
ed with Interested Persons
During the Hearing of the
Measure.
palladium specially

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Jan. e2-The
tack on which public service CORPORA
tions will fight the public utilities bill
introduced by Senator Shively is be-
lieved to have been made plain by
John T. Beasley. counsel for the Terre
Haute. Indianapolis and Eastern Trac-
tion interests of Terre Haute. who
argued that no attempt to regulate Sc
curities of the corporation should be
made by the state but that any bill
passed should confine the activities
of the commission proposed TO making
rates and requiring service.
The physical valuation requirements
of the bill also came in for attack not
only by Beasley, but by ]. V. Fart
man. secretary of the Manufacturers
and Shippers association. who declar-
ed the clause should be changed to
read that the commission NAV within
its own discretion order a physical
valuation instead of shall" order
physical valuation. He declared the
large number of public utilities cor
porations make il impossible for the
state TO carry out the requirements of
the clause.
Senator Stotsenburg, chairman OF
the committee. raised some objections
TO clause 81 which provides that whsre
the corporations voluntarily surrender
, their franchises and come in under
the commission. they may be given in
determinate franchise or permit. Stot-
senburg argued that IL would be poor
tactics to grant to any corporation, a
permanent franchise.
Prof. RawIes Replies.
Prof. William A. Rawles, of the In
diana university, replied TO the objec-
ton by stating IL was merely a meth
cd of playing fair with the well in
tentioned corporations and would
serve to insure the investor and make
him safer. He desired that public
service of all kinds is naturally
monopoly and that there is no good
reason to oppose perpetual franchise
under safe regulations.
A feature of the hearing was the ar
gument presented by Jesse C. Moore.
of the Columbia Book Supply COM
pany, who told of his experiences in
the fight against the indianapolis
Light and Heat company to obtain a
fair rate for electric lights in north
western Indianapolis. He gave statis-
tics and showed documentary evil
dence of alleged Irregularities in rate
making and in service, and alleged
that under the proper commission. the
company would not be able to do any
thing but the fair thing TO all it's
clients
He declared the proposed commits
sion Is a necessity as the civil service
procedure now provided the citizen as
redress against the abuses of public
service corpor ations. is slow, cumber-
Some and entirely inadequate. Charles
l.. Henry, of the Indianapolis and Gin
cinnati Traction company pointed out
that the utilities bill under considera-
ton does not mention railroads. He
urged that the present railroad laws
be permitted to stand as they are and
that whatever laws be enacted. not
apply to them. except insofar az they
may have city plants.
Chamber Was Crowded.
The senate chamber was crowded
for the hearing by practically every
prominent corporation attorney and
persons directly interested in their
management, and many of less prom
inence. Henry Marshall of paving
fame, l.. c. Boyd, director of the In
dianapolis Water company. Carl Graf.
manager of the Indianapolis Gas Co.
]. J. Appel of the traction and termi-
nal interests, were among those in the
gathering.
No one spoke against the principle
of the public utilities commission. but
the corporation men were unanimous
ly of the opinion that more time and
study should be given and that too