Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-01-02
Bruce Praises The Board.

The work of the Public Service Commits
sion was the subject of an address b
William Cabell Bruce, its general counsel
at the long-table luncheon of the City Club
of Baltimore, last Saturday. Mr.. P. .
Laird, of this town, is chairman of tn
commission.
The commission, Mr.. Bruce said, has nov
been in existence for more than three anC
a half years, long enough to demonstrat,
its fitness or unfitness for the tasks imposed
upon it.
81 do not hesitate to say" declared the
speaker, that in my judgment the system
of regulation prescribed by the Public Ser
vice law has vindicated it's worth and that
the commission has performed its functions
with irreproachable integrity and on the
whole with commendable degree of eff
cheney"
Mr.. Bruce said he had been asked by
an acquaintance in all seriousness whether
the duties of the members of the commits
sion required their attendance at the Office
more than one day week.
The whole number of formal complaints
filed with the commission from May 10,
1910, until about December 10. 1918, num-
bers 302. Of these SO are at present on
the docket. The number of informal COM
plants in writing filed during the same
period was 661, of which 142 are still to
be disposed of. Many of these cases will,
it is expected. be dismissed for lack of
prosecution.
The applications for stock issues num-
Der 81, and the total amount of stock au-
thorized 68,526,970 Applications for
bond issues number So, and the total of
bonds authorized $152, 1881, 979.51.
The commission has held 374 public
hearings. ranging from A days to frac-
ton of day in duration.
Speaking of the criticism that had been
made that the commission had at times
shown leaning toward the corporations.
Mr.. Bruce declared that a number of Or
ders of the commission against corpora
tons had been overruled in the courts, and
continued
why, then, not accuse the courts, in
stead of the commission, of subserviency
to the corporations? Why not have the
newspapers tell them in each case, as the
newspapers told the commission in the
Gas and Electric rate case, just what de-
cision it should render and then denounce
and deride the Commissioners for being
so presumptuous as to form their own
opinion, as they are commissioned and
sworn under the law to dor
Mr.. Bruce declared that the commission
had always in difficult cases given the
public the benefit of the doubt, whereas
the courts had very properly done no such
thing.
Mr.. Bruce suggested that if it were
found in future that men of the requisite
ability could not be secured for the COM
mission at the salaries paid at present.
he thought it might be well to increase
their compensation. He also advocated a
change in the law which would take away
from the general counsel and even the
commission the right to appoint the peo-
pies counsel. which he thought should be
entirely independent of the commission or
its officials
The principal objections that have been
heard against the commission, Mr.. Bruce
thought. have come from two sources
the professional lobbyists, who had gone
to sleep and allowed the Legislature of
1910 to pass the bill without any strenu-
GUS opposition, probably not understand
ing what blow it would be to their bust
ness, and from small class of citizens
who had been enjoying special privileges
of one sort or another.
Concluding. Mr. Bruce said:
in my judgment the system of super
vision created by the Public Service Com
mission law has become permanent fea-
ture of our political life AS continuous
means of regulating our public service cor
porations, the direct action of the Legisla-
ture proved entirely unsatisfactory and no
alternatives have been proposed to the
administrative system Of regulation which
succeeded it except municipal ownership
and socialism. To say no more these pears
will be too crude for plucking for many
years to come. There may be a reaction
against the existing system Of regulation
by commission. but personally should as
soon expect reaction against Harvey's
theory of the circulation of the blood or
Newton's theory of gravitation.
ut is much more likely. think, that
some of us will live to see the prices Of not
a few of the leading commodities that sup
ply urgent human wants regulated by trade
commissions.
THE corporations have accepted the
situation and have adjusted themselves to
its requirements. They have learned their
lesson. 1t is to be hoped that the people
will as fully learn theirs.
THE danger to the commission is not
that of being corruptly or improperly in
fiuenced by public service corporations or
even falling into a mental attitude lacking
in quick sympathy with popular aspi,a-
tons and needs.
THE real danger is that Of beir- ~ ak
enough at times 10 be swept Off H. feet
against its own better judgment and con-
trary to its own sense Of justicefwhen some
considerable body Of voters q alternately
importunine and threstenhg it, or when
all the selfish and thOughtloss inhabitants
Of great city have Wthihe aid Of a sensa-
tonal press dashed themselves into such
state Of unreasoning hysteria as to prac-
tically demand that the commission abdi-
cate in their favor the functions conferred
upon it by law"
Lee And jackson Birthday Ex-
ercises.
a.. r