The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-07
utilities Commission Act Hangs
in the Balance.
DEMOCRATS FAVOR the LAW
Their Platform Calls for New
Force and Power.
State Treasurer Akers Starts .
Big Fight.

The fate of the public utilities COM
mission may be determined for all
time when the 1915 legislature comes
to Topeka in January. With the COM
missions power and jurisdiction under
fire from a dozen angles. with a well
defined sentiment for the abolition OF
the commission a. q burden and use
less expense, the Democratic state adj
ministratien has taken mp the battle
for the commission and In its platform
pledged it's Influence to an extension OF
the commissions power.
In the last few weeks not less tnan
a dozen suits have been filed in the
Shawnee county district court directed
against the Kansas commission. All
of the cases have for their ultimate
end the same purpose-the RESTRICTION
and limitation of the power and juris-
diction now assumed by the board.
Nearly all of the cases in the courts
have been brought by railroad COM
panies operating in Kansas and under
the supervision of the state commits
sion. These roads have objected siren
uously to some of the so called elastic
powers assumed by the commission
and have sought relief through the
courts.
But the fight will not stop there. 1t
is quite probable that strong lobby
will be maintained next winter to put
| the Kansas commission in the scrap
heap for all time to come. Among the
men who are quite certain to come to
Topeka to make laws are number
who are said to be openly opposed to
the present operation OF the utt1t1es
commission act.
Akers Fights Commission.
Only recent Earl Akers, state treas
urer, referred to the Kansas commits
sion in his Stafford Republican as q
worthless institution and a drain on
the state treasury without accomplish
ing any material good. OF course
Akers stirred up all manner of discus
sion when his article appeared. but he
refused to retract his original state
ments and he is not without his fol-
lowing.
state administration has come to the
rescue of the commission. In their
1914 state platform, the administra-
ton party pledges itself to an extern
sion of the existing powers OF the COM
mission. Thurs, should Treasurer AkerS
and the Republican leaders stand firm
in their declarations against the Oper-
atiOns of the utilities commission, a
real live statewide issue might be
found in the debates concerning the
the 1911 Legislature when the old rail-
road board wac abolished.
Law q Reform Measure.
In the campaign Of 1910 and even
the campaign of 1908, the creation of
a state public utilities commission was
a real live issue in the state. Akers,
who then trained with the Stubbs-
White-Dolley-Jackso crowd, believed
the creation of the commission was a
good thing. At least he didn't disbe-
lieve it to the extent that he offended
the feelings of the party leaders by
criticising the reform.
1t was in those days when anyone
who suggested that perhaps the re-
form wasn't what it might be, was
branded as q hireling of the soulless
corporations and an enemy of the
common voter. And so, Mr.. Common
Voter arose Ia his might to smite an
enemy which he had been told really
existed and tn. utilities commission
act found a place on the statute books.
Since then some men of quite high po-
litical standing have been SO unkind
as to refer to the reform body as the
| useless commission"
And so next winter, perhaps, the
affairs of the utilities commission will
be checked up to the legislature once
more. In the fight the alignment of
| the commissions friends of yesterday
| will be quite we'll worth observing.
Major Richard Sylvester. chief of po-
| lice at Washington. D. c., will ask for
police women on the capital city police
] force.