The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-01-29
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1914.
THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER.

There is one thing that the rule OF
utilities by a commission has done IN
Wisconsin and that is that it has I'M
pressed upon the people that it is no
longer "Jones,' but the ultimate con-
sumer who pays the freight. Of course
the ultimate consumer always did pay
the freight in one way or another, but
+be commission has brought it home to
the people more than ever before that
they must pay for what they get. 1t
has brought out the fact that pubic
utility companies while they may be
great accommodations Of the public, are
not public benefactors. With this
knowledge the commission has brought
to the knowledge of the utility COM
panies the fact that they must serve
the people with fairness and that their
earnings must be pruned to meet set
scale to be made by the commission.
Under the present rule companies have
forgotten the old motto, All that the
traffic will stand, = which used to hang
over the desk of the manager and IN
place of it is a motto, g. All that the
Commission will stand. The commits
sion has said to these companies, thus
far you maypgo and no further. !" 1t
is conceded that the commission has
been liberal in placing the amount that
the companies may earn on their capl-
tai but the rule of the commission has
taken away the idea of dickering for
rates for utilities. rate for public
utility now is absolutely under state
supervision and any time that the utll1-
ty gets the 'Fall that the traffic will
stand' idea it is promptly taken out
of it by the commission. Rates are
now matter of scientific arrangement
Of figures. If the people of commune
ty demand underground wires, painted
poles and lot Of other things that go
to the identifying of city they can
have them but they must pay for them.
If the company is forced to increase its
investment the rule of the commission
works automatically and it gets along
with the increase of investment the per-
mission to increase the rate Utility
service is worth just so much. This
price is set for utility service without
any frills. If the frills are to be put
on the service is made more costly just
the same as the dress of the woman
is made more costly by the addition of
la lace girdle, This rule Of the commits
sion is not enforced to the extent of
splitting hair, but any great increase
in investment is sure to give the COM
pany an increase in income sufficient
to meet the interest Of the increased
investment and the profit which is al
lowed by the commission. Under the
commission rule the company is no
longer forced to buy contracts with
good will or money. The companies
can not be ousted from their position
so long as they meet the reasonable de-
mands of the people for service and the
city can not go in as a competitor with
out first taking over the plant of the
utility. The commission rule works not
only for the protection of the people
but also for the protection OF the men
who have invested their money to serve
the people. These facts are decidedly
interesting in Kenosha just at the pres
ent time. They go into every phase of
public utility life in the city and the
people may as well know now as later
that any frills that are tackled on to
the utility companies will reflect on
their own pockets in the payment of the
monthly bills charged for service Of the
various companies.