The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-08
TO STRENGTHEN II.
Legislative Flans 20 Amend Utaitael

Plans for the acknowledging OF the
kansas public utilities commission act
win be considered tonight at q meeting
ct q special committee appointed by
the 1913 legislature to draft new pro-
vtstons and report to- the 1915 session.
At noon today no1es 1.-The members OF
the legislative Committee had offered
spectre suggestions regarding the pos
stble proposed changes in the law ana
none of the members. OF the present
utilities commission. had offered q plan
for improving the law.
The meeting tonight will be held In
the parlors Of the. Throop hotel and
Senator J. d. Joseph of Butler county,
chairman Of the legislative committee.
will preside. 1t was Senator Joseph
who proposed the special COMMITTEES
and he was named as chairman OF the
joint committee. composed Of three
members from the senate and three
from the house. Joseph, 1t appears, Is
the only person with q real suggestion
Tor remedytng the present law.
Possibly Senator Joseph had his pro-
posed changes In mind when he pro-
posed the special committee. However,
he will likely offer his ideas at to-
nights meeting and the remaining nve
members Of the committee will tell him
what they think of the matter.
. To ibeeln with. Senator Joseph thinks
the utilities law needs a general reno
waiting, overhauling and fumigating.
He would redraft the entire. utilities
law and offer 1t to the 1916 legislature
for approval or rejection. That there
might be nothing overlooked, Senator
Joseph would call to the aid Of the
special committee-four of whose
,members are lawyers-experts from the
state schools. He would gather to-
gether the men who have read much
about the management of railroads and
telegraph and telephones and other
public utilitiess and would incorporate
their ideas into law. That is the gen.
eral plan of Senator Joseph. as under
stood in Topeka. But the plan doesn't
seem to meet with general approval
and some Of the lawyer members OF the
committee are willing to go to war on
the question.
There is objection on the part Of
the lawyers to the plan of student OK
perts trying to write the utilities law
in an effort to make theories fit daily
practice. Then a few of the members
Of the COMMITTEES do not believe the
entire law should be rewritten. They
would study the weak places in the
law and remedy these defects with
necessary amendments.
One of the questions which the
committee will consider will be the
extension Of the Jurisdiction of the
commission in the regulation of util-,
tiles. Perhaps the legislature will he
asked TO give the COnnlSSlOu JuTl6~
diction over municipal owned light
and water plants and extend the pow
ers- of the commission to care fer
such cases as the Kansas City stock
yards controversy. That, however, is
q matter to be considered.
Judge Foley, chairman of the Kan
sas commission is not in Topeka to-
day, but it is probable that Commis-
sioners Kinkles and Gable will be asked
to appear before the committee and
discuss needed remedies in the pres
ent law. At the offices of the conf
mission today it twas stated that the
of. the commission had net
conferred regarding proposed changes
in the law and. that no recommends
tions or suggestions had been agreed
upon.
The members 81 the legislative COM
mittee are: Senators Noah L. Bow.
man, Anderson county, J. d. Joseph.
Butler county; ]. II. Stanley. Usage
county, and William Barrett, Pratt
county: s. N. Brewsters Doniphan
county, and Frank Chase. Jackson
county, on, behalf of the house.