The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-30
BIG GIT HE'S UNITE
 TO FIGHT PUBLIC .UTIL TIES CONCERNS

A coalition of the cities of the coun try, big and little, has been formed to fight the combination of municipal utility corp oration big and littIes that have for generation operated to tn wz1-t municipal progress and growth Leading the nvement are the mayors of Philade1phie, Chicago and New York The mayors of these largest American cities are Interested in sec ing that rates and service for public utilities shall hereafter be based on the actual cost of providing and fur- nishing such services and on the ac- tual value used and useful for such purposes, and not on the power of a monopoly to extort what rates it will. and not on a capitalization that rep- utility promoters. The organize ton has already been started and "a. conference called to discuss the vital factors in these problems.
 The following letter has been sent to the mayors of all the principal American cities:
 My Dear MT. Mayor:s
 The city of Philadelphia is prepar- ing to bring, in the early autumn. a case before our new Public Service Commission, in which that body will be asked to pass upon proper sched- uIe of rares for electric light and power In the course of our inves- tigations and review of hearings on this subject, we have come to realize that the side of the people has sseId orn If ever been adequately presented be- fore other public service commissions, while the interests of the public utility ycompanfes are presented and argued by the best informed and most able men in the country. If the cities do not join together for the presentation of their cases as the public utility conn panies have. the laws and precedents establfshed by the commissions stand in danger of being biased by the able arguments of the representative of these corporati ons-
 The equipnlent required for an ade- qute presentation of the rights and in- terests of the people involves a degree and information which it is not prac- ticabIe for any one city to obtain This knowledge and information is much the same for each city, and 1t itzcumnla- tive use would greatly add to it's value. It must be borne in mind that the utility companies constitute them selves an offensive and defengiye al- liance. probably stronger than any other interest in this country. Its weakest member fs never without in- formation and assistance Of every kind
 To meet this situation. it has been suggested that there should be form ed a Bureau of Public Utilities Re- search which shall equip itself to give to the cities the same able assist ance which the public utility com panies association give to the public utility companies, thus in effect con- stitutirag an offensive and defensive all liRnce among the cities similar to that existing among public utility corpo- rations.
 To this end. we are preparing to form a, permanent organization of this | certain your interest in this matter and to ask whether you would be represented at a nationwide confer ence of city officials to be held in this city in the autumn to discuss the va rious phases of public utility prob lems as affecting the people, and how they may best be dealt with.
 Mayor Mitchell of New Y York, Mayor Harrison of Chicago, Mayor Baker of Cleveland, and Mayor Shroyer of Day ton, join me in making this inquiry. Mayor Mitchell and Mayor Harrison will personally represent New York and Chicago at this conference. We are confident that the result will be a great step forward in the matter o1 securing a. proper presentation of the peoples side in utility cases.
 Yours very truly,
 | RUDOLPH BLANKENBURG.
 Mayor of Philadelphia.
 This means that consumers of gas water and electricity, and the patrons of street cars and other utilities are I to have a friend at court in the future Mayor Blankenburg is organizing 2 permanent Bureau whose function il | will be to assist the city and the con suner at hearings where utility rates and service are under consideration The scope of the Board will be nation | wide. Not only the mayors of New York and Chicago. but the mayors O