South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-17
franklin CIVIC
ELECTS OFFICERS
Private Corporations and Pub
lie Utilities is Subject of ADJ
dress by City Atty. Eli F.
Seebirt.

Election Of officers took place Mon
day evening al the Franklin CIVIC
club meeting held at the school.
The officers elected were as fol-
lows: Arthur Miller. president: Moan
Shirk. ice-president; Edyth Brown,
secretary: Leva Ritter. chairman OF
the program committee; Helen Burke,
chairman OF the promotion committee,
Carolyn Unruh, chairman OF the I'M
provement committee.
The president-elect took the chair
and gave a short talk after which
Eli r. Seebirt, city attorney, deliv-
cred a talk on Private Corporations
and Public Utilities" in which he
made the distinction in the two &C
cording 10 the legal point of view. He
said a private corporation is one that
is governed and managed wholly by
the individuals owning il, and pub
lie utility or corporation is one that
is governed by the federal. state or
municipal laws which require certain
things OF the corporation.
AS Illustration of a private cOrpor-
alton he used the grocery store or
any store operated by an individual or
number OF individuals. He spoke of
the gas, electric, telephone or rail-
road as examples of public utilities.
He showed many advantages to the
people OF the CITY III kttpiilS d. MUCH
Of the business of the city as posi-
BILE private as a better. chance is
given to competition which will re-
duce the prices on necessaries.
Public Utilities Question.
He said the question of the rela-
ton of the people and the public
utilities should be a very interesting
one to the citizens who have the use
of public necessities such as gas. cleo
trio and the telephone. AT common
law 200 or 800 years ago each case
if the individual was dissatisfied the
court was called upon to decide the
particular case and in this way it was
a great expense to the plaintiff who
brought the case. In the last 10 years
all the states but two in the United
Safes have adopted the public COM
mission law by which the rates to be
charged are regulated. In this way
large number of cases are elimi-
mated.
To illustrate Atty. Seebirt used the
local gas company. He said the way
in which the rate TO be paid is de-
termined by the value of the prop
erty and expenses of the company. a
number of engineers are sent to ap-
praise the property, including the gas
mains and buildings used. To this
amount the expenses are added and
the IOta1 sum invested IS used as the
principal on which they charge the
public enough to amount TO six per
cent on the investment.
Mr.. Seebirt compared the price
paid by South Bend citizens for cleo
tricity and the price paid by other
people of Indiana towns. He said we
pay 10 cents per kilowatt hour while
cities such as Goshen, Anderson, FIT
Wayne and Evansville pay but six
cents for the same amount and there
companies are run by expensive pow
er plants with boilers, engines and
engine houses while the local plant
snas the river to furnish it's power
"A noted German once said" said
Mr.. Seebirt. Ito an American, You
keep the right to the sewers, streets
and alleys that produce no gain to
the city and give away that which is
value To you, such as gas, electric
and other public utilities In the
last few years the cities have been
selling the right to these public cor
porations instead of giving them
away"
The next meeting of the club will
be held Dec. 1 at which time the en-
tire evening will be given To a social
time. \ special program will be pre-
pared for the evening.