Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-08
Senator Rockwell Answers
Charges Made by Senator
Cummings of Bannock
County in Attack on the
Commission.
GIVES FIGURES TO
SUPPORT ARGUMENT
Denies That the People of
the State Want the Law
Repealed, Asserting That
Only Special Interests Are
Favorable to Proposal.

The reply to the attack of Senator
b. A. Cummings of Bannock county
on the public utilities commission was
made Wednesday afternoon by Senator
]. l.. Rockwell of Blaine county, gen
erall recognized in the Legislature as
the champion of the commission. Sen
ator Rockwell did not mince matters
or words in refuting the charges of the
senator from Bannock, nor did he
spare him in yelled sarcasm as to
his alleged lack OF knowledge as to
the workings of the commission. Sen.
ator Rockwell continued his argument
this afternoon.
1t was apparent from the time lie
opened his argument that Senator
Rockwell proposed to show that SEN
ator Cummings was not posted on the
question of commission regulation, it's
causes and effect. THE young man."
said Senator Rockwell, referring to
Cummings, has avoided the study of
popcorn and medical aid legislation for
the study of this great question" Hav-
ing delivered this left handed compli-
ment Senator Rockwell said the posi-
ton of the senator from Bannocli was
like the tail attempting to wag the
dog Regarding the charge made by
Senator Cummings that the Idaho pub
lie utilities commission had gone over
to the corporations tail and hide"
Senator Rockwell plainly intimated
that the charge might be SO serious
the commission was justified in giving
II Il more personal interest than he
could, were 1t not for the apparent un-
familiarity of the accuser with the
commissions work.
DISCUSSES "PEAk" LOAD.
After illustrating what constitutes a
peak" load as carried by electric pow
err plants or the capacity of a plant
delivered over its system to meet the
demand at certain hours of the day
principally at night, and wildly de
scribing electricity, the substance of
which is unknown, and which is the
only known commodity that the more
of it is used the cheaper 1t is, Senator
Rockwell said that statistics prove the
average domestic use of electricity in
the world is two and one-half hours
day. His illustration here was to
show why 1t was necessary to charge
certain prices for electricity becaus
OF the peak" load and the fact stor-
age of the energy is next to impossi,
bic except at great cost
Taking up the challenge that the
Idaho commission WAS useless and of
no benefit, as made by Senator Cum
mings, Senator Rockwell, quoted sta
tistics from the commissions report
which Cummings also said was prac-
tcally useless, showing that thousands
of dollars had been saved in reduced
freight and other rates to shippers and
consumers, some $4,000 of this beiny
saved to Boise shippers alone.
PEOPLE NOT PROTESTING.
Rockwell asserted that Cummings
had said the people" were for the |
commissions repeal, but the people"
mad failed TO appear except in one in
stance, Joseph Burns OF PocatelIo who
Rockwell said. demonstrated before he
had finished his statement to the com |
mittee that the people" he represent
ed were parties who "had 81 COT, 900 20 |
invest in Idaho utilities" Rockwell de-
MED that the people We're Cor repeal Of
the commission and asserted that had |
they been they would have appeared
before the committee at the hearing
held several days ago
The Republican and the Democratic |
state platforms are pledged to strength !
ening of the commission act, the SEN /
ator from Blaine pointed out and he !
said he considered it Il most strange
procedure TO have members of tile lat
ter party appearing in the Legislature
asking that the plank in their platform
be violated.
SOME AGENCIES AT WORK.
Il hope to prove" said Senator Rock |
well. before | get through that the
only monopoly that does occur is
through competition and If ! do not. |
! will vote with the senate myself. t.
abolish the commission"
Senator Rockwell resumed his argyll |
ment this afternoon at o'clock before |
the senate, pointing out the danger of /,
supporting the Cummings bill to repeal
the commission. He admitted that four
years ago he was against the commits
sion, but had been converted since |
then; that he was the owner of q small !
power plant and that his plant was
not in the merger or trust. He also
declared that the same agencies that |
fought the creation of the public util- |
tiles law in Idaho four years ago were |
active in Utah before the present legis- 1
lsture there fighting the proposed |
commission bill pending before that /
body. He charged the argument made 1
by Senator Cummings for the repeal of
the commission law now, is the same
Identical argument made by those
seeking to block passage of the COM II
mission act four years ago.
PRESIDENT BRANNON
<N~v-~- 49, - ovH~