The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-03-07
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
REPORT IS SHOWN
lnterurban Men Use This as
Argument That Commis.
sion Hampers Growth.

BRIDGEPORT. Conn. March &c.
anterurban men are using the recent
report of the department Of commerce
on electric railways in various states
as a basis of their argument that reg
Nlation of public utilities by the state
commissions hampers growth. The
most striking example of this, they
say, is seen In comparison of the
growth of Indiana interurban systems
with those in Wisconsin--the princi-
pal exponent of public utility regula-
ton by state commission.
This comparison, with the inference
that the public utility law in Wiscon-
Sin has slowed up interurban progress
Is significant here for it Is an attack
on the law recently passed in Indiana
creating the public utility commits
Sion. This commission very recently
settled an interurban dispute in a man
ner most satisfactory to the employees.
In 1902, the report says, the gross
income in Indiana and Wisconsin was
practically the same-$3, ,S13,076 for
Indiana and S3,923,SS4 for Wisconsin.
The latter state had a slight advan-
tage. In that year also the miles of
line in Indiana were $3.50 with 29913
In Wisconsin.
In 1907 the gross income in Indiana
had nearly tripled. 1t was $11,496
16S. The gross income in Wisconsin
had not quite doubled. 1t was $6662,-
SIT. Miles of line in Indiana had more
than trlpled, with total of 1,714.61.
Miles of line in Wisconsin had not
doubled. The total in 1907 was 416.22
In 1912, which is as far as this re-
port goes, Indiana had $16,142,O75
gross income and 2.03S97 miles of
line. as against SS,64S,124 gross in
come ana 5S2.03 miles of line for
Wisconsin. In the ten years Indiana
had increased 1888 per cent in gross
income as against an increase of 1904
per cent for Wisconsin, and had in
creased 1884 per cent in miles of line
as against an increase of 96.4 for Wis
consln. A prominent interurban man
here told the United Press that the
public utility law in Wisconsin might
easily have caused this difference The
Indiana law was modelled after the
Wisconsin law
The exception is taken to this line
or reasoning by an advocate of the
public service commission here. He
said that from geographical stand
point Indiana is a much better state
@ci iii'Si III oetit uCFCiOplItil tiidu 10
Wisconsin. Thriving cities are more
numerous and more closely centered,
he said. For this reason Indiana is in
a class by itself in the interurban bus
mess.
The reasoning against the public
service law is faulty because the law
In Wisconsin was not passed until
1877, and the figures noted date from
1902 he said Between 1902 and
1907 Indiana made much more rapid
strides than Wisconsin, and neither
had a public utility law
This man had something to say
about what he termed the real and
apparent prosperity of the interurban
business in indiana He said that if
a.! the interurban systems had built
up their business on as sui '"ntial
has the indianapolis. ! .umhus
- : Southern road there would be lit
t,c to fear from the public service
comm miSSiOn. "On the other hand" he
said, "one system in Indiana-almOst
dominant system-is badly financed
The stock is watered, and it is worth
little. The connecting lines have been
"milked' until there is little real pros
perity behind the imposing figures.
Recommends Chambcrian's Cough
Remedy.
Il take pleasure In recOmm ending
Cham berlain'S Cough Remedy to nv