Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-08-25
THE DOUBLING OF
PUBLIC SERVICE
Exclamation of the Certificate
Of Necessity and Conven'
fence Measure.

The certificate OF necessity and con
venience act which was passed by the
last session of the Legislature and ap.
proved by the governor, was made sub
ject to the referendum, and will be
voted upon by the people of the state
In the November election. 1t was a
bill designed to protect the small util'
ity against the large corporation, and
to encourage the extension of electric
light and power lines and street rail
ways into rural territory, but the sig
natures holding up the operation of
the bill were obtained entirely in the
city of Seattle. 1t is known as Refer
endum No. Z.
The act does not by any possible
construction grant monopoly. 1t is
short and should be read by every
voter in the state 1t provides that
If there IS public utility operating
in a territory it shall give efficient
service at fair rate under the rules
and regulations and control of the pub
lie service commission. That should
a new company seek to enter the same
field such new company must first go
to the public service commission and
ask permission. That the commission
shall call a hearing, which would prob
ably be in the city where the utility
is located, and in which the people
shall be represented. Then if at this
hearing it is shown that the local
company Is giving adequate service
at fair rate, and that the new COM
pany cannot give better service or a
better rate that the commission may,
or may not grant permission to the
new company to enter the field.
1t must be remembered that the
commission has full authority to regu-
late the service and the rates of the
existing company, and the act is de-
signed to foster and encourage devel-
opments in small communities. There
is only one source of revenue for a
public service utility-the public.
Whether there be one, two or three
companies operating all the income
must come from the people using the
service. Experience has demonstrated
that where two companies are
operating in territory, which is only
large enough to support one, con-
solidation invariably follows. The re-
suit is that there are two plants, two
pole lines, and in fact two entire du-
plicate investments upon which inter
est must be earned. So that when the
public service commission values the
property, as it must under the law,
to fix the rate it is compelled to allow
the consolidated company to earn in
terest upon this duplicated investment,
thereby compelling the consumer to
pay just that much more for the serv-
ice.
If the company was not regulated
by the commission, in reference to its
rates and service, then competition
would be greatly desired, but when it
is regulated competition and the re-
sultant consolidation of the companies
generally leads as a matter of fact to
higher rates in order that interest may
be earned on the duplicate investment.
1t has been found by experience in
Wisconsin, California and countless
other states where this law is in force
that it is a big incentive to the COM
panies to extend the electric light and
power and street railway service into
suburban territory, as they have some
assurance that as long as they give
adequate service at fair rate, as or
dered by TIE commission, that they
will be protected from unfair compe-
tition and particularly from the larger
companies seeking to effect a mon.
opoly.
A Deadly Weapon.
There Is a horrible weapon favored
by certain of the hill tribes In the
Ghauts of western Asia. which con-
sists of four sharp, curved blades hid
den under the fingers and securely held
in place by rings passing over two Of
them. With such a contrivance Shi
vail, the Maratha hero. is credited
with having disemboweled his Mo-
hammedan overload when making a
pretense Of rendering him his humble
submission.
The vagnaks ('ugers' claws"), as
they are called, are distinctly more
brutal than their western prototype.
the "knuckle duster." Wide World
| Magazine.