South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-02
c. D. P. PROPOSES
TO REPEAL STATE
UTILITY STATUTE
Admitted That if Given Power
Pubic Service Commission
Will FaII-To Begin Adver-
Using Campaign.

us party Is making by Sen0lng out
several hundred thousand cards setting
forth a new campaign slogan bids
1alr 10 be turned into a huge joke.
me cards contain in an oval. in
bold type, the words The Republican
Party At the top left hand side OF
the card is the word Eventually.
and at the bottom right hand side the
words Why not now.
Chairman Hayes is making use OF
the advertisement of "A firm that has
made II a by-wOrd from one end OF
the country 10 the other Wherever
this ad appears are the words event
ually' and Why Not Now and
Chairman Hayes thought il would be
a clever thing TO use il in connection
with the republican party.
VIII Start Bill Posting.
The idea it seems was looked on
very favOrably by the republican lead
ers, hut no sooner were the cards put
out than some voters began TO change
them so that they read Eventually
But Not Now" Thousands of the
cards are being changed and remailed
by men who have received them ap-
parently for the purpose of turning "A
joke at the expense OF the republican
state chairman and the active young
men who are helping him manage
the campaign for the party.
Chairman Hayes proposes to have
-
which the entire state is 20 be plaster
ed during the next two or three weeks
on one side Of the card HAYES has
printed the entire republican state
ticket and has run a line at the bot
tom as follows: Better government
and less taxes. II is supposed that
this is TO he the KEYNOTE Of the re
publican organization which has been
trying for the last few months to make
everyone in the state believe that the
democratic party has been wasteful in
its management OF state affairs
Repeal Public Service Law
That the republicans propose To- re-
peat the public utility commission law
If they should happen To control the
next session OF the legislature it is
admitted by no less an authority i'm
hat party than Charles q. Sefrit ed
itor or the Washington Herald
Sefrit for many ears has been one
e the leaders OF the republican party
IN indiana He was one OF the cam
Iagn m9nagcrs when Hemminway
as running for the senate and for a
: God many years WAS a member of
the executive committee.
tie was member of the committee
which drew up the platform at the
recent republican state convention
and il is admitted that he is the lead
ing republican editor in Indiana. His
p2per is credited for dOing a great
Zeal to shape the policy of the party
In this state.
Sefrit i'm a long editorial i'm his
paper this week SAWS that republican
leaders certainly viii repeal the pub
JIG utility commission law If they get
q chance. Sefrit and many other re-
publican leaders have been vigorous in
their criticism Of the utility commits
sion law enacted 10y the democrats at
the last session of the legislature. al
. tr~I, e..
end of the state To the other for the
law.
Was Not Their Bill
To is not believed that republican
leaders would not have offered any op-
position To the law If il could have
been passed 10y the legislature con-
trOlled by their party and If they could
have named all OF the members of the
commission. The fact that "a majority
of the members are democrats docs
not set well with Sefrit and other re-
publican leaders They represent
that the reasin for their opposition TO
the law is that il causes the state to
spend considerable sum Of money
every year to pay the expenses Of the
commission.
The fact that Indiana was several
years behind Wisconsin and other
states In the enactment of progressive
laws was due largely TO the refusal
VI the ifFuNAANdAl7 WAillt an tOnAtOi Oh
the legislature Co adopt measures that
would have placed Indiana i'm the
same ranks with Wisconsin and other
states which have had progressive
laws. Tho democratic legislature last
winter passed the public utility com
mission law when il was apparent that
people in all parts of the state were
tired or the control OF the public ser
vice corporations by local politicians. I
The Indiana law is REGARDED as one OF
the best in the country and a brief
review OF what II has accomplished in I
the last year shows that its enactment /
was more tnan justified.
The commission reduced the gas
rate in Indianapolis TO 30 cents. which
is one OF the lowest rates IN the cOun- 7
try. This action of the commission
saved the citizens of indianapolis
thousands Of dollars a year.
Some Commission Work
The commission reduced the water
rates at Richmond so that the people
OF that city viii be benefited for years
20 come. The commission has re- .
duced water rates. electric light rates T.
gas rates in many cases So that the /
people have been able 10 get what they
thought they deserved.
The commission is now considering /.
cases Of great Importance 20 Evans /
vile. Terre Haute and many other I
cities. Ten fact the volume of work /
done By the commission makes 10 one /
OF the most important departments OF I
the state government and IL is believed I
that an effort 10 repeal the law would /
meet with serious opposition.
The commission Also aCed as a /
board OF arbitration daring the street /
car strike in Indianapolis last No /
ven1ber spending nearly two months \
in bringing about a settlement Of one /
OF the worst troubles thar has con- I
frOuted Indianapolis i'm recent years. \
This week the commission handed I
down notifications of the award in I
the first car strike matter which prob I
ably has averted a serious strike here 4
that threatened 10 tie up the line dur I
ing the state fair.
However. the decision OF the com
mission is regarded as fair 20 both the /.
company and its employees and is in /.
strict line with the decision handed 4
down several months ago and which is I
binding on the company and its en- /
ploves for the next three years
Under the circumstance it is DIFF +
90 ha IN