Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-14
new UTILITIES
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1T vas written by the governor,
| don't mind adding" he said
Bill is Favored
This strikes me as a good bill, one
which will give the commission the
necessary power, and one which be-
lieye the representative Of the public
utility companies here will buck,
commented Mr. ThUrston
The bill provides that there are to
be three commissioners, the chair
man, whose time is to be devoted en-
tirely 10 the work, is TO receive
salary of $4,000, according to the
agreement of the special committee.
, The governors bill originally set the
sum at $500. The other two COM
missioners may be- officials of the
territory and will receive $1,000. The
expense of the commission is to be
met by a special tax, or fee, of one
fortieth of one percent of the aggre-
gate par value of the stock and
bonds issued by lie companies.
The vital part of the measure is
reached in the unlucky thirteen sec
| ton, where its powers are set forth.
/ II is in this section that many OF the
amendments are offered. II was
agreed by the committee Saturday
that the section should give the COM.
mission power to regulate rates, pro-
hibit rebates, and to prevent the dis
elimination between localities, and
gives il the right to have restitution
made to the complainant, in the event
that his petition is found to be we'll
/ taken. A number of other more
patiently minor changes will undoubt-
eddy be made, such as expressly stat
| ing that the commissioners shall give
the complainant notice of the hear
| ing, and such as giving the commits
sion Jurisdiction over all public utility
corporations where the laws of the
| United States do not prevent" and
such as making it mandatory for the
commission to bring suits in proper
cases, in place of giving it the mere
passive right Still there are other
changes. The commission will prob
ably be given power to employ out
side legal assistance. By the bill it
is given the right to call upon the
services of the attorney general, but
it was pointed out by Senator Metz
ger that such an unqualified recital
put the attorney general in a too
powerful position. And lastly, by an
amendment it may be made TO specify
! within what time the companies must
report accidents.
| Business-like Measure -.
The law written by the governor
is drawn in a short, business-like
style, and in place of it covering
lightweight pages, as in the case of
Senator Rice's, or ninety-odd, as is
the case with Senator Metzger's, it
only requires seven pages of type
written copy.
1T gives the commission general
powers in place of specifically setting,
out its individual ones" said Senator
Judd. Il believe that is the safest
way, and is surely the best rule in
conveyancing."
In addition to the amendments
which will increase the powers of the
commission, the bill, as originally
written and introduced in the house,
permitted it to make all necessary in
vestigations, and make whatever
recommendations it deemed fit to the
| utility company; and cit may also in
stitute and prosecute in the name of
the territory any proceedings in any
/ court in the territory or Of the United
States or before the interstate com
meTce commission .~... ... -.