The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-01-09
Idaho Utilities
Commission.

SOmm1SSlOn.
There is story to the effect that
an over indulgent mother employed
a nurse for Is months old Clarence.
The nurse was especially instructed
to in no way attempt to restrain the
wishes and desires in every particu-
aar, as it was bad for his disposition.
youngster from exercising his own
One day the mother heard Clarence
screaming in the nursery and she
cried out to the nurse: Marie, what
ever is the matter with little Clar-
ence?" Marie replied. please ma
am, he wants this wasp that is crawl
ing on the window" The mother re-
piled: well, Marie, l have told you
often enough to let him have every
thing he wants and If he wants that
wasp you let him have it," The new
sort of screams issuing from the
nursery a moment later indicated
that Clarence had got the wasp.
themselves hoarse for several years
crying for Utilities commission,
and now that they have it the story
of Clarence and the wasp IL being
repeated If, during the time of its
existence. the Utilities commission
has acted consistently within the
law, then the law is mighty bad and
should be repealed. If the Commits
sion has misinterpreted the law
then the commission should be re-
formed and every vestige of its
work eradicated from the state so
that no future commission could
possibly use its work as precedent,
The commission has at all times
refused the permission to capital to
invest in any enterprise of public
utility nature if, in the judgment of
the commission, the needs of the
community to be served by the in
Vestment, We're already sufficiently
supplied by existing concerns. The
matter of electrical development as
a sample. 1t was evident to every
citizen of Idaho. except the three
members of this commission, that
the law intended the commission to
fix a maximum rate at which cleo
trio current might be supplied. The
commission fixes a standard rate at
which current must be paid for. This
rate in many instances being much
higher than the rate being paid
when the commission was created.
The commission arbitrarily cancelled
existing contracts and forced the us
ers to pay a higher rate
In the development of new coun-
tries public utilities such as rail
roads, telephone and electric lines
often proceed the advent of suf-
ficient population to justify their
building but the very act of build
ing these utilities stimulates the de-
Velopment of other resources and
brings the settlers sooner by years
than they otherwise might have
come.
The Idaho Utilities commission,
however, says bring on your people,
build your cities, develope your
farms and mines and when you have
in our judgment developed sufficient
ly TO justify an assured dividend
producing railroad or telephone or
electric line we will grant franch-
Use, until then. capital must stay out
of such investments in Idaho. The
building of the Oregon Short Line
35 years ago across the Snake river
desert was not justified by condi-
tions as they then existed but the
development which followed in its
wake has made 1t one of the best
dividend payers of the U. p. system
Had our present Utilities commits
sion been in power then the road
could not have secured franchise
and would not have been built and
the desert would still be as 1t ther