South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-07

various cities OF the state. including
South Bend. may send their congrat-
ulations TO Sen. G. r.. Summers for the
defeat Of the anti-jitney'' bill which
they hoped to get through the legis-
lature. After listening for several
weeks TO the well-oiled explanations
Of the street railway legislative agents
and counsellors. the senator appears
10 have caught on despite their
evasiveness, pretended disinterested-
ness. and philanthropic patriotism, and
the first thing they knew he was
voting right contrary TO what had
been expected of him-and he not
only voted but talked.
The -jitney" bill required of
Automobile drivers entering into com
petition with street railway COM
panies carrying passengers for hire,
that they procure a license from the
city for the privilege, and put up q
huge bond-to protect the public
against being hurt. Ii insisted that
they come under the Jurisdiction of
the state public service commission,
for approval of equipment, and ditto,
of rates. If course. Sen. Clarke in
backing up his measure, saw il mainly
affecting indianapolis, and according
TO his story, it wasn't a question of
shutting off competition for the street
railway companies at all. The whole
purpose, he would have had you be-
lieve. was to protect the dear pee
pull"
Sen. Summers main objection was
TO any more power being placed in
theAhands of the state public service
commission. 1t appears that every
time a bill was introduced in the leg
islature, some legislative counsel or
agent for some public utility, was i'm
mediately on the ground to see that
such bill was not taking any discre-
tionary powers away from the COM
mission. Another chronic effort on
the part of these legislative counsel
Tors and agents. appears to have been
to get more powers, wherever pos
sible vested in the commission. The
senator appears to have scented dan
ger in too much power being vested in
commission. which the utilities
seem to love SO dearly, and saying so
appears to have gained sufficient
following to cOnsign the nti-jitney"
law to the waste basket.
a similar objection to turning the
state over to Messrs. Duncan, Murphy
.
appears also to have gained some foot
hold in the house, leading to the de-
feat of the amended Waltz railroad
rate law. When it was found that a
half-cent of increase in passenger
rates would not be otherwise obtain
behalf of the railroads. that the COM
mission be empowered 10 investigate.
and then grant the rate increase
should it be found deserving. The
railroads accepted the amendment
with almost as much glee as though
the bill had already passed. an inves-
tgation had, and the increase had
been granted.
Wherefore somebody seemingly
thought they "smelled "a rat" and the
amendment followed in the footsteps
of the original bill. There has been
considerable of this disposition to-
ward the public service commission all
through the session. If it continues
10 grow. about the next session of the
legislature, even if democratic. may
be considerably inclined TO so amend
the public utility law. that local utili
ties will be subjected to a system of
home rule. Home rule for Indiana
cities. promises to become an issue in
Indiana before many years, and the
public service commission will have
TO be mighty careful as TO how it deals
with local matters, if it does not wish
TO hasten that Gay along.
The jitney-bus line is the product
OF street railway arrogance; an AFRO
gance that was never more pre-
nounced than it has been since the
public utility law came to insure street
railway magnates in their monopoly.
We have had a taste of il in South
Bend High rates and poor service,
have been our indisputable lot, and
when the public complains about the
cnly answer you get is what are you
going TO do about it," Well. the way
is still open for jitney-bus line in
South Bend. and II Will be open for
another two years The answer is
that a lot Of people will probably ride
the jitneys when they get chance,
and Wen see whether that will have
any influence toward forcing a less
expensive and better service on the
local street railway lines.
RE.AI IP-TO-DATE BRAND OF