Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-24
UTILITIES NO MORE
HOLD OLD PUBLIC
Be DAMNED" POLICY
George B. Trip Declares Compan-
les Are Looking After Inter
ests Of Those They Serve
WELCOME SERVICE BODY
Says Stockholders Do Not Want
Dividends at Expense
of Efficiency
WELCOME SERVICE BODY

In a paper on "The Utility Corpora
tion and Its Duties to the Public"
George B. Trip, vice. president and
general manager of the Harrisburg
Light and Power Company, and presi-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce,
last evening discussed before the Har-
risburg Society of the Bell Telephone
Company the development, operation.
duties and responsibilities of the pub
lie service company and the mutual
relations of it and the public.
Among other things brought out
were:
Old .public-b be- damned" idea, the
policy Of some of the utility com
panies in their earlier history has
been altogether supplanted, and to-
day the modern and efficient Of
ficial or empiOye has before his
vice..
Important factor of utility service
is frankness In dealing with the
public through the press. No more
important feature of service can be
mentioned, one which In many cases
has been abused.
Every utility corporation is made
mp of two factors, the plant and
property. and the franchise.
partnership therefore exists be-
tween the company and the munici-
pality.
Certain responsibilities and obli-
cations rest upon either party.
Commercial success of any COM
pany depends upon it's efficiency Of
service In all particulars.
stockholders are anxious for dfvf-
dends, but not at the expense of
service.
Coming of the State Public Ser
vice Commission Is welcomed.
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
an example of what utility corpora
tfOn did In 1913 to Insure safety to
patrons and employees.
Paper Feature of Society Meeting
The paper was the feature Of the
telephone societys meeting and it's
various phases were discussed by Ed
gar u. Wallower, superintendent Of
tn, electric light company; Robert w.
Hoy, commercial manager of the same
concern; H. p. Porter, the Bells plant
superintendent; J. F. Hope. plant su-
pervisor; G. S. Reinoehl, division man
ager and S. S. Eberts, district man
|ager.
Officers were elected by the society
as follows: z. G. Mateer, Altoona,
president; l.. b. Carson, city, vice
president; W. A. Kershner, city, Sec
retary; r. NJ. Leonard, city, treasur -;
r. e. Smith, local manager, Lancas-
lSi, dho W. CpI pldHl
visor, Altoona, were elected direc-
tors.
Just prior to Mr.. Trips talk G. e.
Gable, copy manager of the Bells
publicity department at Philadelphia,
drew a lot of amusing sketches in
crayon of the men in The audience
and of the officials.
The keynote of Mr.. Tripp's paper
was service" to the public and the
c-elopment of this idea among the
successful utility corporations of the
country was strikingly illustrated and
emphasized throughout his talk.
The Effect of the Commission
The effect of the establishing of the
public service commission of its ad-
vantages to both public and corpora
ton were pointed out and commented
upon. Another feature of Mr.. Trips s
paper was the figures he quoted on
the results obtained by the Pennsyl-
vania railroad in 1913 to insure
safety of patrons and employees and
which Mr.. Trip characterized as "the
greatest record ever made by util-
lity corporation in its service to its
patrons"
mot a single passenger out Of ILL.,
100000 carried by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company in 1913 was killed
In a train accident, quoted Mr. Ir1pO
from the Pennsy's information bull
|letin. Reports for the past six years
show that almost 600, 900, 900 passen-
gers-a number equal to more than
one third of the whole worlds popu-
lation-have been carried by the
Pennsylvania railroad and but sixteen
of them lost their lives in accidents
to trains; nine were killed in one acci-
dent"
''Maximum Service: Minimum Price,
Mr.. Tripp in emphasizing the de-
velopment of public utility service
compared the present day needs and
requirements with those of the days
of the inventor of the telephone and
the organization of the Bell Company.
To-day" asked Mr.. Trip, what do
we find? A demand upon every util-
ity company to furnish the maximum
of service at the minimum price"
The change was not brought wholly
by the opinions, criticisms or requests
of the consumers, the electric COM
pany's head pointed out, but by the
companies themselves. Thus the re-
sponsibility of the utility company
was increased. A check of some kind
was necessary to guard against condi-
tions which might have continued.
Demands would have become so in
sistent and without substantial reason
and the companies would have in