South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-21
Thomas Duncan, in Democratic
Address at MiShaWaka, Fires
Some Hot Shot Into Camp of
Opposing Parties.
WHAT LAWS WILL THEY
REPEAL IF ELECTED?
Discusses Pubic Utility Act,
Vocational and Institutional
Taxes and National LegiSla-
ton Passed by Democrats.

Challenging republican and pro-
gressive candidates for the state as
50 bly, and senate 10 come out in the
open II they dare. and state that they
intend 10 repeal III elected. the In
diana public utility law, the vOca>-
ti0nal education law. or any OF the
laws increasing taxation for the sup
port and maintenance of the penal,
correctional. benevolent or education
al institutions Of the state, Thomas
Duncan. chairman of the state pub
lie service commission. laid bare a
number of republican campaign
hypocracies at the democratic meet
ing at the Mishawaka high school
last night in a manner that left no
doubt in the minds of his listeners.
The meeting was literally attend
ed. in the audience being a number
Of republicans and progressives, in
Guiding among them Mayor Keller or
south Bend Mayor Gaylor OF Mish-
awak and members of the South Bend
board Of works. the city attorney and
engineer, all interested apparently in
the discussion Of the public utilities
act. Lieut.. Gov William p. O'Niell
presided.
In referring TO the Indiana public
utilities act. providing for q commits
sion of five members having jurisdic-
ton over railways corporations for
public service and having many other
powers which was passed at the last
session OF the state legislature, Mr..
Duncan said:
Points out Importance.
The people of the state have no
more vital interest in any subject than
i'm the public service corporations that
provide the necessities of life and the
means OF communication and trans
portation.
THE absence of any other control
ing authority that has the legal right
To- regulate thes properties. the load
of Liabilities they carry and the strife
between the people and the utilities
renders the public utilities law absO-
IuteIv necessary. No state that has
ever enacted such =. law has ever yet
repealed IL. The necessity of the law
is not only for the protection of the
public from the eXtOrtions Of the
utilities. but it is of great value TO
the utilities themselves. in that it
s. eks TO secure friendly cooperation
between the utilities and the users of
their service.
THE regulation of public service
corporations is neither unusual nor
unjust. To establish maximum rate
of earnings ON investment in utility
properties is no more arbitrary than
To esta blish a maximum rate of earn
ings for the money lenders of the
state. Yet 10 prevent usury has al
ways been deemed a proper exercise
OF legislative power. The eXamina-
ton OF the books and records OF the
utilities and the requirement that
each shall make an annual report is
not more inquisitOrial than the exam
inauJn 10y the state and national Of
uciaIs OF the books and records Of
banks and building and loan associa-
tions.
Succeeds II. II. Commission.
"Tn 1905 the republicans enacted
a law creating the railroad commits
sion # Indiana with three commits
sioners and an appropriation that
soon reached $4,000 per aunum. All
the duties imposed upon that com
mission are imposed upon the public
service commission Of Indiana, and in
addition we have under our iurisdiC-
ton the street railways of the state,
the telephones. the telegrapfs, the
light, water and gas companies and
all elevators and warehouses. our
duties are tenfoId larger and more
important than the duties performed
10y the railroad commission. In one
wear our work touches daily the lives
OF more average citizens of Indiana
than the work OF the railroad COM
mission touched In the eight years of
it's existence.
The railroads or the state nave
now filed before the public service
commission their petitions and sched-
ules asking for five per cent in
crease i'm the freight rates of the state
Of Indiana. 80 man has any more
vital interest in that case than have
the citizens Of St Joseph county
Made Splendid Reed
Mr.. Duncan declared that mo- legis-
lature i'm the history of the state has
passed such wholesome and efficient
laws rs did the last assembly. which
was under democratic control He
asserted that republicans and pro-
gressives are I'm no position 10 assail