New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-27
END p. s. BOARD,
THOMPSON PLAN
Bill to Abolish City and
Upstate Commissions
To Be Offered.
NEW BODY OF SEVEN
MEMBERS PROPOSED
LEGISLATORS Striving to Agree on
Measure Comforting Only
Regulatory Power.

This Public Service Commission OF
tbe metropolitan district will be sboi-
isbed bv the coming Legislature II the
tentative plans row being discussed oy
members Of the Thompson committee
crystal'ize into q concrete propositioh
20 which the committee can agree and
which the Legislature can be persuaded
20 accept. There is TO division Of
op;nion among the investigators as 10
the need OF drastic changes IN the
pub,io Service Commission law, but
there Is a difference Of opinion as 70
how the changes sought can best De
carried out.
CO ,or es the taxpayers Of the city
,re concerned, there will be no DOUBT
o. N where they will stand on the
Mans under discussion, for each ana
every method suggested contempiates
saving to the city Of sl'Ooo'oOo or
more a year.
Senator Thompson, chairman Of tne
Investigating committee. would aooiish
both the city and the upstate eomin's-
,;or. and substitute in their places
sinql. commission Of seven members
the powers Of which would be purely
regulatory. His plan is somewhat sim
d. 20 that provided in a bill he intro
drced IN the Legislature last winter
,n that II would be statewide com
mission. with a provision that three OF
;ts members would come from upstate
To Introduce Similar Measure.
According to his present plans the
chairman will again introduce his
Measure In the coming legislature but
with many changes designed to nee.
.o,di+,ons which the investigation oil
prb,ic Service affairs has brought 10
1;ob+ One Of these will be provision
which will tend TO make 1t imposSlole
for n commissioner to mold stock IN
rublie utility corporation IN tho name
Of his wife or relative.
The commission proposed By Senator
Thompson would have power TO nix
rates. prevent discrimination regulaVe
stock and bond issues. require adequate
service and have all other powers Whicn
are LODGED in statewide commissions
II would have nothing TO do with the
tu;lding of new subways for this city,
ho,yeyer for :. is the contention oil
.be Senator that this Is purely local
f,nc,ion which should be exercised by
the city itself.
Senator Thompson's idea Is TO iodge
The supervision Of the building OF new
subways either in the hands OF the
Vsvor or the Board Of Estimate, prei-
rally the latter. Should the power
he Given to the Board Of Estimate II
.orid appoint a committee OF engineers
10 handle the subject. OF course, the
Mayor could do the same thing. Inc
nnin thing sought, however, IS 10 place
The whole question within the control
Of the city, which has to foot the DIS
City Has Nothing to Do but Pay.
Under the present arrangement the
CITY has nothing to do but pay, the
bulding Of subways in this city beng
in the control Of the Public Service
Commission, appointed by the Gov
crnor. ,
The salaries Of the commissioners
would also be cut TO $4,000 year, &C
cordino 70 Senator Thompson's sugges-
lions. While this would effect some
saving. the big economy, the Senator
believes, would be brought about by
turning the building OF new subways
over 10 the city itself. The present
city commission required SS,6OO,OoO
for the coming year. and the Senator
believes that with the city supervising
subway construction at least one-third
Of this would be saved.
Another plan suggested by member
Of the Thompson committee provides
for statewide commission OF i've
members with regulatory powers. The
general idea Of this plan is similar 70
that OF Senstor Thompson, except IN
one particular. Senator Thompson
would have the three upstate members
Of his proposed commission sit on up
state matters only, and three city com
missioners 20 sit on city affairs exclu-
sively, with one general chairman. The
plan proposed by the committee mem
her. however, makes no such differ
entiation.
Suggestions have also been made
that the power TO examine SSs meters
be taken from the commission and
placed In the Department OF Water
supply. Gas and Electricity. 1t is not
improbable that separate bill Of this
kind viii be introduced at the coming
session.