The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-01-23
Bill to Repeal the Utilities
Commission.

SUEleIulSSlOIts
Pursuant to his prediction prom
Use, Senator-elect b. A. Cummings OF
Bannock county, will introduce ear
Iy in the coming session of the state
legislature bill repeating the pub
lie utilities act In making pub
lie his position on the question he
has given out the following state.
ment:
at is true that l intend to intro
duce a bill to repeal the public
utilities commission in accordance
with promises l made during the
campaign. My opponent came out
in opposition to such action, so that
the issue was squarely presented to
the voters of Bannock county. There
is no question about the unpopular
ity of the law in this section of the
state and from the many letters
have received from other parts OF
Idaho, lave reason to believe that
this sentiment is very general.
while it is true that nearly all
states have such commissions,
think 1t is equally true that a num-
Der of them, including Idaho, have
enacted such legislation long before
it was necessary. I have been ia
miliar with the work of our commits
sion ever since it was organized and
/ speak advisedly when l say it has
done vastly more for the public
service corporations than it has for
the general public.
"An examination of our public
utilities act makes it apparent that
it is intended to protect the interests
of the corporations rather than those
of the public, the provisions requir-
ing certificate of convenience and
necessity before a competing COM
pany can enter the field being an
example of the injustice it does the
taxpayers of the state. II legitimate
competition Is good thing in one
industry, l contend that 1t is equal
ly true of all others, and II there
is any valid reason why power
company may have monopolies in
Idaho and should be shielded from
honest competition while other in
dustries are left without such pro-
lection, l have failed to hear it.
with us in Pocatello it is a case
of too much commission, as we would
be obtaining electric energy for
about one-half of the present rates
II II were not for the action of the
utilities board in denying the right
of a responsible competing company
to enter the field. / believe it will
also be found that the farmers in
different parts of the state who have
been refused the privilege of con-
structing and operating purely NUT
ual telephone systems, take the same
view of the situation. As far as the
arc 'oh'Ni hN' Wv ih'''
state commerce act meets all exist
ing requirements.
"This talk about having to protect
these interests from competition IN
order to induce them to invest theii
capital in Idaho will not bear analy
sis. | am reliably informed tina
hundreds of thousands of dollars o
Independent capital Is right now be
ing kept out of the state by thi
law. In my opinion any compan!
which will not invest here unless
protected from fair and Legitimate
competition is OF no ultimate benefi
to the state.
II do not believe in the theor,
now being advanced by the corpora
lions that to have competing publ
service companies is necessarily eco
nomic waste Neither is 1t true tina
where such companies consolidat
that the increased investment mus
inevitably lead to increased rates
AS as matter of fact the suprem