The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-04-06

Na v ~ lAattsf aattA-a itAAAAAAN tNNA'
is no election By the people as IN 1902
and 1919. The amended constitution
provides that the State election here
after shall be held On the frs; Tues
day after the first Monday In Novem-
Der. which viii make the date OF our
mex. election November g. Two
moaihs later our Legislature ioT the
first time under the amended con
stitufion viii meet on the first We'd
nesday after the first Monday IN jan
uary. which in 1915 viii be January
6. and we shall be preparing TO inau-
gurate the new sovorncs.
The question who Is Go be our next
governor r. more farreaching than
ever before. and Il Is well TO consid-
or him lille We can speak impersnn-
ally 4 few decades ago almost any
man could be governor. provided he
could IN the Office with dignity and
make a good appearance on public 90
casions. His power was not great
and the duties OF the Office occupied
little OF his time. To-day the public
institutions and affairs OF STATE have
become so manifold and important
that the executive must expect to at
tend TO little else during his biennial
term. while his authority reaches The
pockets as well as greater interests
OF all citizens.
Tho changes OF most concern for
our people as 10 the govcrnorship Of
the future have resulted from the
amendment Of our constitution and
delegation Of momentous authority
70 the public service commission
appointed by him. One OF the Goa
stitutional amendments gives the gov
crnor Of Vermont a real veto with
corresponding increased power SO
that instead OF bare majority as
hitherto a two-.hirds vote Of the mem
hers present In both branches Of the
Legislature will be necessary to pass
any measure over a veto-a provision
which would apply to an extra ses-
sicn OF the present General Assemb-
~ as well as OF succeeding legislative
sessions.
The public service commission ap-
pointed By the executive already has
large power under our law and 1. II
70 be taken for granted that its dut.
les win be enhanced by future lcsis
laion under the constitutional
amendment which provides that mo
charter of incorporation shall be
granted, extended. changed or amend
ed by special law" excep. charitable
and other corporations Of that kind,
''but the General Assembly shall pro
| vide by general laws for the organiza
ticn OF all corporations hereafter to
be created Under general lesisla.
ton discretionary powers must be
given by the Legislature to the com
mission, and this power mus be
carefully guarded, IS we shall show
in a subsequent issue
II the telephone investigation had
accomplished nothing else, It was
worth while for the people Of Yer
| mont to discover thus how their whole
future could be affected by q simple
act or failure to act on the par. OF a
! public service commissicn and with
the development OF the State through
multiplying corporations and the con-
servation OF cur natural resources As
4 pressing problem the public service
commission has taken on large as
| VOL ne oW ppgcfhilifiog
The people CT Vernon. as a whole
now realize as never before that
when the public service commission
authorizes q corporation controlling
4 public utility 10 take any step ike
increasing capitalization, the people
through their public servants are 9faC
tically debarred from action TO re-
verse that step, for the commission l..
acting in the name Of the people.
| If the commission authorizes a pub
| lie service corporation to increase its
capital from $4,000 to 100000 tor
example, and says the price of public
service should pay a return of neI
cent, as has been said, then the pub
| ht VIII Simply pay tht litlSHt- ~
the public service commission author
ICES a raise of rates, or let's new or
der Of service and rates go into effect
without objection on its part for thir
ty days, then the State is bound, and
the people pay the freight just the
same for their own representatives
and public servants have acted OF
passively consented in their name.
We thus see, in part, how essential
1; is that we have a governor next
year and in all years to follow who is
not afraid to stand for the protection
Of the rights and interests OF the pee
pie both directly and through ap
pointments to the public service and
other commissions. We also see or
the other hand how desirable it will
be for public service corporations tC
have governor or public service
commission or Legislature al
strategic points to waive the rights
and sacrifice the Interests of patrons
and taxpayers for the benefit Of such
corporations.
We cannot fail to realize the neces