Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-17
INTRODUCED FROM
REPUBLICAN SIDE
Action Taken as Indication
That No Attempt Will Be
Made to Secure the Repeal
of the Law at the Present
Session.

Thomas OF Bingham county, seeking
to clothe the public utilities commits
sion with supervision over securities
of public service corporations in this
state, is taken to indicate by leading
members that there will be no repeal
of the utilities act. Senator Thomas is
n Republican. This fact, together with
the fact that the bill covers q plank
in the Democratic party platform in
dorsed by the governor in his mess
age to the Legislature. makes the in
PRODUCTION of the bill OF more than or
binary importance, say legislative
leaders.
1t appears to have real teeth.
NOT AGAINST COMMISSION
When Il strenuous fight was waged
In the legislature two years ago
against section AZ of the utilities act.
Senator Thomas was active in seek
ing to amend that section so as to
eliminate the certificate and necessity
proviso. He lost and the section was
allowed to stand. Senator Thomas i'm
mcdiately dropped the fight. A bill
that had been introduced by another
member seeking to repeal the COM
mission act, died in committee
THE impression is erroneous that
] am against the public utilities act"
said Senator Thomas, when discuss
ing his bill. Il am not against it and
in this bill seek TO give it more power
through supervision over securities"
When the legislature. four years ago.
passed the act creating the commits
sion, there was a bitter fight made
on the provision incorporated giving
hn ,y,atp CT
curities. The bill passed the house
with this provision included. The SEN
ate struck the provision from the bill.
The object of Senator Thomas meas
ure is to put that provision back into
the measure.
ELIMINATE MUNICIPALITIES.
At the same time Senator Thomas
introduced n companion measure that
seeks to remove municipal utili-
Ties from the jurisdiction of the
commission. This is a mooted ques-
ton, it is admitted by members. In
the Occur d'Alene case an attempt was
made to have it tested out in the su-
preme court, but the voters in Occur
dAlene, having voted down the pro-
posed bond issue to raise funds for
the construction of a municipal plant, !
the supreme court dismissed the case !
pending before 1t and did not pass on |
the question of the jurisdiction of the |
commission over municipal utilities |
Senator Thomas said he believes tnaA |
If an Incorporated city or town desires |
to install a water or electric plant to |
supply its citizens it should be per- |
mitted to do so without securing per- |
mission from the public utilities COM |
mission.
The Thomas bill, giving the COM
mission power TO supervise securities !
of public utilities, is known as senate |
bill No. 15 and will be as greatly in de-
mand as any measure that has been
introduced, due to the importance at
tached to 1t. 1t does not seek to amend
the utilities act, but is an independ-
ent mea sure comforting additional
powers.
MUST HAVE PERMISSION.
Provision is made in this bill that
no street railroad corporation, gas
corporation, electric, water or tcle-
phone corporation, shall henceforth
sell, lease, assign, mortgage or other
wise dispose of or cucumber the whole
or any part of its street railroad, line,
plant or system, necessary or useful
in the performance of its duties to
the public. or any franchise or permit
or any right hereunder, nor by any
means whatsoever, direct or indirect,
merge or consolidate its street rail
road, lines, plant or system, pr fran
chise or permits or any part thereof,
with any other such public utility,
without having first secured from the
r. N III q ginn nrIer NIL ar iztv |