Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-05
Forestry

|. Tho State owns 1.0O1,226 acres of
forest land. purchased at an average
price of S2.25 per acre, from which
revenue of sS9.406.44 was derived to
December /. 1914. Six thousand miles
of roads, trails and fire lines have
been built; the nurseries contain over
10000. 900 trees; 200 leases for perma-
nent camp sites have been approved;
and during the current year tempo
rary camp permits were issued to over
1000 persons.
This department should be given
sufficient appropriation to improve it's
forest fire warden service and for the
purchase of additional forest lands.
and should be permitted TO furnish
trees without cost TO municipalities for
all kinsd of municipal planting.
Worthy of mention is the gift to the
State Of Childs Park. in Pike county.
by Mrs. Emma B. Childs, in honor sof
her late husband. Mr.. George W.
Childs, of Philadelphia.
Public Service Commission
The Public Service Company law.
created by an act of Assembly. ap-
proved July 26. 1913, is one of the
utmost importance to the people of
Pennsylvania and TO those corpo-
rations serving the people which are
defined as public utilities. This law
puts the ultimate control of public
service companies, with respect to
services. facilities and rates, in q COM
mission selected under the authority
of the State. Up To the time of the
passage of the act this control was
vested in the boards of directors of
these corporations, subject only to
such redress upon the part of the pub
lie as could be secured by suits in
the courts, and was often exercised
without regard to any interests save
those of the corporations which the
directors represented. During the
short period of a year and half since
the enactment of the law il has proven
TO be OF great benefit to the people.
Not only have they come to the COM
mission with confidence to present
their complaints concerning excessive
rates, grade crossings and similar mat
tiers of importance. but the veyr fact
that there exists such an impartial
tribunal. with authority. promptly and
ineXpensively to determine disputes,
has led TO care and self-restraint upon
the part of the corporations.
Many cases OF far-reaching impor-
tance have already been disposed of by
tEe commission. In one instance the
supply Of heat OF borough was
turned off as winter approached. The
hearing before the commission was
ended at p. m. an opinion written
during the night, and at 10 a IN. the
next morning an order was issued re-
quiring the supply to be restored. The
whole system of telephone rates
throughout the State is under consid-
Grafton, and the rates upon the trans
portation OF anthracite coal to Phiia-
delphia have been materially reduced
The right of some of the industrial
roads to participate in through rates
was determined although the Inter
state Commerce Commission had de-
cided otherwise.
Between January 1. 1914. and June
80, 1914. 5S grade crossings were abol-
ished and undergrade and over
head crossings were established.
Three hundred and ninety-fiye cases
we're transferred to the commission at
the time of the expiration of the Penn
sylvania State PailToad Commission
and most of these have since been
determined. It IS an indication of the
usefulness OF the commission that in
addition TO these. between July &c.
1918. and June go. 1914. 254 cases.
some of them raising questions of
gravest consequences. have been
brought before the commission One
hundred and fifty-three applications
for certificates of public convenience
with respect to contracts between mu-
inequalities and public utility corpo-
rations have been filed and 9S of them
have been approved.
Since the work of the commission
is rapidly enlarging both as to the
number and Importance OF the matters
brought before them for determi-
nation. and since the vast number of
tariffs over which they have super
vision are fled with them and require
TO be provided for and analyzcd, a1Ii-