Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-06
STATE RAILROAD COMMISSION
susTAINs ITS PREVIOUS
- ORDER.
MUST BEAR EXPENSE OF
PHONE LINES DAMAGED
Controversy Reviewed and Transmits
sion Lines Lose For Second Time
Question Thoroughly Investigated
CHASED, Retiring Member Of Board,
Changes Views.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Nov. 6.--The state rail-
road comm Ssion refuses to back up on
it's ruling of Dec. 80, 1916, in which it
declared that nigh Iower transmits
sion companies must bear the expense
of rehabiIitat!ng telephone lines wEcse
service has been destroyed by the ad-
vent of the high power electric trans
mission lines. The state rliroa1
commission today landed down its
opinion on the rchearing OF this qucs-
tiou IN which It sustaIns the position
taken in the original ruling.
Iowa is the first state In the union
to make a positive and affirmative
ruling on this point. The question is
up in many OF the states.
The question at issue was whether
or not high power electric transmission
lines should boar the expense OF re-
storing good telephone service on tele-
phone lines whose service has been
injured thru the coming in OF the high
power electric wires. The Iowa COM
mission mas now tA'ce ''ecided that II
is up to the high power lines 70 re-
store those lines whose service has
been thus destroyed.
The high power elec &c transmission
line IS Of comparatlv recent origin.
Within the past fsw !ears, however
such lines have "e.0 Installed sene'
ally over the state ami carry elec..!city
from some central e..ctric plar's 10
the towns for mary miles aroun As
s we'll known thssr Ugh power lines
serious'v intert~Es and in some ca-'ts
destroy the telephone service along
the same highway unless the telephone
lines have metallic circuits.
Question Thoroughly lnvestie ated.
The state. realizing that these nigh
power lines should be under some state
control. placed them under the state
railroad commission. When the COM
plants Of ru!aei telephone service ne
came so thick ,l,0n ing the coming CT
numerous high power lines that he
s!tua ton was recognized as serious. the
state commission made most thor
ough investigation. A hearing lasting
several days was held at the state
house in the summer OF 1915 Experts
in both telephone and electric trans
mission line construction were before
the comm ..sinn and gave impor a:
facts on this question of electrical in
reference. Following the hearing the
commission went over the question arI
rendered it's opinion to the effect II
telephone company already having It's
line on a highway had its service sert-
ously interfered with by the advent OF
the high powe- lines "a the same high
way, the transmission line should bear
the expense Of restoring the service
The commission further held that no
franchises would be granted to high
power lines to operate unless this pro-
vision was complied with.
This ruling has since been in force.
The high power lines have fought It
strenuously.
CHASED Changes Mind.
When the original opinion was
handed down BY the board Clifford
Thorne was chairman. Thorne and
Chassel concurred and Commissioner
John Guiher dissented. With the resig
nation Of T'horne Dwight n. Lewis was
mace d tNehDeE Oh the DOlrC. IN Inc
rehearing he concurs with Commits
sioner Chase in holding to the origin
al ruling while CHASED dissents.
The commission in stating its rul-
ing on the rehearing. points out that a
boiler factory or a slaughter house is
not permitted near q hospital and it is
as just to prohibit ruinous interference
with a telephone companys lines az
:. 4 ---tttt- 49, - ..,,-
ances.
The railroad commission also gave
out it's ruling today on the request Of
travelling men for more liberal excess
baggage privileges. The commission
refuses to modify the present excess
baggage rules.
The commission also refuses 10 order
The Great Western railroad to restore
two additional trains on the line from
Cedar Falls Junction to Cedar Falls,
recently taken off.