Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-02-19

was rut up squarely as to whether the
corporate interests should dictate the
policy of legitimate competition in the
matter of public utilities or whether
the field should be left open to the
development of the latent resources and
industries of the state without hamper
or hindrance, and it was a signal vic
tory in the interests of tne public wei
fare OF the commonwealth.
The bill provided, in substance, that
before any public utility should be per-
mitted to construct or extend its lines
Of service into any field heretofore os.
cupied by another utility it must first
submit request to the railroad com
mission setting fortn the conditions that
existed in such territory which it pro-
posed to enter and to show that there
was sufficient public demand for the
utility to warrant necessity and must
secure permission from the railroad
commission before it would be allowed
to enter into competition with another
utility. Under the provisions. Of the
act of 1913 which defines what eonsti-
tutes public utility, this would have
affected mutual telephone, telegraph,
railway or municipal utilities and, in
order for municipality or mutual or
ganization to enter into competition
with private corporation in any terri,
tory it must procure permit to- do SO
from the railroad commission. Also, in.
asmuch as the permission of the com.
mission would be governed upon the
showing as to whether the private and
the public utility to successfully com.
pete in the same territory with the
profit upon the amount of the invest
ment, according to the argument ad
duced, there would rot be much chance
Of mutual or municipal organization
TO establish public utility in competi
tion with a private corporation already
established in the field.
The principal opponents to the meas
ure were Representative Davey, wht
took the lead in the debate against tn,
bill and in support of the majority re
port, Representatives Schuebel, Eaton
Huston and Lafferty and the propon
: ents Of the bill were Representative
Forbes, the leader, Hare and Olson. TIL
| oppo1ents Of the bill declared that tn
bill was drafted and presented solely il
, the interests g. capital for the purpos
Of securing absolute control and a me
. nopoly Of the Oregon field of develop
mcnt and to shutsofI legitimate compe
! tition Of every form, and that, IL it be
came law, it would, in the languag
1 nS Mr., Dayey, enable the corporate il
! tercsts to " throttle the little fellow
e Mr.. Forbes, Hare and Olson ridicule
the idea that the bill was in the inter
(. ests Of capital, but that, on the cor
{ trary, 1t was for the benefit and prote,
+. ton Of the public, and declared tina
: it did not in any way interfere wit
/. the organization or establishment O
d. municipal or mutual utilities in conp,
1 tition with the corporate interests
was shown, during the course Of the Il
l. gument, however, that the bill had ne
], been amended to exclude mmicipalitic
: ond mutual organizations from its pr,
!, visions, as claimed, and this is one {
B, the reasons fo its defeat.
!, After the vote had been announce,
which defeated the bill, Representative
4, Borbes moved to re.refer to amend so {
!. to exempt municipal and mutual orgal
!, izations from tine provisions Of the bill
!, but it waa voted down, the majority r
+, pet was adopted but without putin
+, the motion to indefinitely postpon
Speaker Selling put the motion TO a,
l, iourn and il carried