Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-08-08
COMMISSIONERS
GET SC0LOINGS
When They Raise Rates to Meet
Costs In War Time.

Columbus, Aug. 11.-Before ex
hausting your symathy for those upon
whom war prices have laid onerous
burdens, save a modicum of it for the
states public utilities commission.
The law creating the commission
gives it supervision over telephones,
water, gas and railroad companies.
The law requires each public serv-
ice corporation to lay before the COM
missioners the details of it's business,
and the states exp, 1t n each partic-
ular line investigates to learn if any
mis-statement is made.
The get-rich-quick mergers and
stock-waterers are out of the busi-
ness, because no service corporation
may issue stocks or bonds, or mort
gage any property or borrow any
money on its note until the commits
sion has approved the transaction, and
fixed the price at which securities may
be sold and the rate of interest which
they shall bear.
No utility can buy, sell, merge OF
lease without the official o. X. of the
commission; nor until the commission
shall fix the rates to be charged after
the merger.
The state utilities commission, after
its experts have reported on the mat
ter, can force any public service corr
poration to give satisfactory serv-
ice or to extend its service in new
territory.
Troubles, No End.
But the wartime troubles Of the
commission come from none of these.
They are from rates for gas and light
and power fixed by city ordinances on
a basis of pre-war costs of delivering
service; rates perhaps ample when
made, but at which it is impossible
for company now to give satis-
factory service. This brings the pub
Lie service corporations, nearly every
one Of them, to the public utilities
commission appealing to have the
city-council-made rates increased so
that the corporation can escape bank
ruptcy; and they come with figures
to show the necessity for more in
come to meet war wages and prices
for material. If fixed for definite
period, and no appeal was taken,
within 60 days, the commission cam
not grant any relief.
When old ordinances have expired,
the municipalities often refrain from
passing new ones, knowing that the
rates must be raised to meet the war
prices; but content themselves with
waiting until the utility has filed a
schedule asking for an increase, when
the municipal politicians usually ap-
pear to protest against "robbing Of
their people by soulless corpora
tion," but they seldom produce any
figures to show whether or not an in
crease is warranted.
The Day In Court.
When rates are protested the COM
mission fixes a date for a public
hearing, at which it sits as a court
while the city solicitor tries both the
corporation and the commissioners;
and if rates are raised, the "home-
town paper" usually takes "whack"
at the commission.
The commission has the power,
under the law creating it, to abrogate
rate fixed by municipal council
if it be found to be unjust to either
consumer or producer, when an ap-
peal has been taken within go days
from the passage Of the ordinance.
But advancing rate for gas, or cleo
tr1city or water, or telephone service
in any city brings upon the commits
sioners abuse from the inhabitants
and users Of the service.
The thousands who have to pay the
increased rate don't cuss the iegis.
lators who made the law; they don't
cuss the Kaiser who made the war
that doubled the cost of materials,
they just cuss the commissioners. 1t
reminds one of the old adage that
the unsuccessful litigant always has
one prerogative, that of "cussing the
court" However, there are notable
exceptions. Some municipalities have
business officials who recognize the
changed conditions, and who, when
they are convinced that increases are
necessary, accept the same in good
grace and without criticism.