New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-06
Thompson Urges
Elimination of
One P. S. Board
Investigators Report Says
s4oO,OeO Is Wasted in
Salaries Yearly
Law Revision Asked
Three Hearing and Four Reg
ulatory Commissioners
Suggested
Law Revision Asked

p.vgon Of the Public Service Com
-...ons law and the substitution o.
-. for the present two commission
=. recommended BY the joint legisla
-, committee. headed by Senator
Gorge F. Thompson, IN report made
,gblie Yesterday. The suggested reOr
-,,irstion, it S said, will save 100000
sov expended yearly in needless sal
ares
r,5sr Senator Thompson's plan thu
..,rls commission would have sever
-..,bers. each serving seven years, the
.,;.f commissioner TO be elected, the
a,.srs appointed By the Governor. The
80 commissioner and two associates
~o,ls constitute 3 hearing commission
ling a. Albany; the other four would
:. -.gulatory commissioners, each with
,,.lBsive jurisdiction in his own dis
triet.
complainants dissatisfied with rul-
-, of the regulatory commissioners
uoula have the right Of appeal TO the
.,,-nr commissioners, whose de-
-'s,,,T would be subject 20 review by
-. 1ppela,e Division Of the Supreme
Frame-Up Charged
Senator Thompson charges that
a.,sr,ies tried 20 frame up mem0 ers OF
,ss committee" but that they kept on
Sirr,nr out the facts. no matter wh0
,Ssv hurt The report urges laws
,bst would enable such committee 10
,r,isb a defiant witness for contempt
nd would make possible a cooperative
rlsn. BIZ which other states would COM
nsl witnesses TO produce desired doeu'
ments. .
times. shat has thus far adopted the
mar OF divisional jurisdiction on ter
.i.orisl lines. Some states, however,
have divided the regulatory powers on
functional lines, similar 10 the metnoo
snuloyed in this state prior 20 the erea-
ion OF the present commissions, CIV
.pg 70 one board control over transpor-
ta-ion service and facilities and the
other over gas, electricity and such IKE
su5lic service as generally OBTAINS IN
nunieipslities; but ~ all OF the states
dividing their regulatory powers on
functional lines they nave IN every m
tisnce gwen 20 each commission state
VIDE Jurisdiction over slcn class OF
PASSES OF public service corporations
and facilities as are made subject 70
the powers Of the commission estao-
sshed for such class or classes.
@Rsrulstory powers Of the state
stould spply 20 and be exercised With
en- distinction for the benert OF the
,rtire state and of every one OF its
si,izens. whether Individual or corpo-
ne. ard the committee believes that
the consensus o. public thought on the
subiect demands that the general Juris-
ciction OF s state regulatory body
should be territorial coeXtensive with
the boundaries o. the entire state.
skill Is Required
The construction OF subways N the
City OF New York calls for the highest
character Of engineering and OF eNecu-
tive skill The problems involved are
the problems Of the builder and con
structor. the business man and the
hnancIer; tne planning and building OF
rapid transit facilities have no natural
place in any proper scheme Of govern,
mental supervis sion and regulation o.
public utilities. The former creates
and manages the instrumentalities "a
be regulated and the other, IN The pub
lie interests only, supervises and con-
trolls the character o. the service 20 DC
rendered by such Observation-Disclosures and
the value 70 the public o. the service SO
rendered. The skill required FOR the
successful accomplishment OF the nrsi
IS not essential 70 and probably not
eonspicuously possessed b. one skilled
20 successfully conduct the latter.
There has been no concentration o.
power or authority, and consequently
10 respons. bilty; moreover, the com
MISSIONS had insufficient jurisdiction 10
enforce their policies and consequently
became careless Of what power they
had.
-Impotsnt as a body, they appsr-
emily readily succumosd 10 their IN
mediate surroundings, carried out no
permanent policy; but the record OF
the investigation shows an almost uni
form line Of inconsistent Conclusions
While not al these have favored the
corporation contention, yet the neglect
o. enforcement has maze II appear az
though the whole line OF conclusion
recorded were without exception IN the
interest o. the corporation sought "a
De regulated.
-The public. suffering from delays IN