Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-04
MIR, Hersey's Letter

To the Editor OF the Sentlnei:
| note in your issue of April l you
have a communication from Hon. w.
r. Pattangall in the matter of mile
age books, in which he says that Ger
tain statements are being made in the
press which might cause the public
to believe that in some way the adop-
ton of the public utility commission
law would make it compulsory on the
railroad to issue mileage books and
that such commission could regulate
the price at which such books were
sold"
He further says, Senator Milliken,
Governor Haines and Senator Hersey,
in various communications addressed
to the public have assumed this to be
so but il is obviously not the fact. II
either of these gentlemen will con-
suit almost any lawyer of reasonably
good standing or indeed, will put the
question to any bright law student
ne will readily ascertain that there IS
nothing in the law of 1918 which
would compel any railroad to issue
mileage books at all, much less fix
the size of the books at the price
charged per mile"
l have carefully followed all the
various communications addressed to
he public in regard to mileage books
~ Senator Milliken, Governor Haines
nd Senator Hersey, and l find moth
ng in any of these communications
lat justifies Mr.. Pattangall in maxi
g sich statements.
Senator Milliken in his communica-
on to the attorneys of the Maine
entral Railroad Co. of March q no.
here claims that the public utilities
commission could oblge a railroad
company to issue mileage books or
ell them at a certain price. He is
nsistent, however, that the commits
lion does have power to regulate
Mileage rates, and mileage rates, as
ar. Pattangall we'll knows, is the usu-
j term applied to charges to passen-
,ers, while freight rates covers trans
iortation of freight, and when mile
ge rates are mentioned it does not
necessarily mean mileage books. The
Utilities bill makes no mention or
mileage books.
In his communication above mem
toned Senator Milliken says this:
New conditions arising since 1911
night now justify a Public Utilities
commission in approving an increased
Mileage rate. In view of the agree
nent outlined above, however, and
specially Of the fact that the public
Titles bill is now pending before
he people for ratification, l must file
NY personal protest against the pro-
aosed increase at this time"
Governor Haines has issued two
communications IN this matter. One
his veto of the mileage bill of April
3, 1913, and in that veto he says: MY
principle reason for doing this is that
I have just approved "An Act to Gre
ate a Public Utilities Commission,
Prescribe It's Powers and Duties, and
Provide for the Regulation and Con-
troll of Public Utilities Had this
last named act not been passed. l
should have approved the act to reg
ulate and establish mileage rates, but
if l understand the matter right, the
bill creating q public utilities COM
mission was enacted for that vecy
purpose, that is, the control of pub
lie utilities coming within the scope
of that bill and particularly the reg
ulation of rates and fares of railroads.
The act creating the public utilities
commission will 20 into effect in Sep