The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-31
POLITICS is A BAR
This Obstacle COnfrOntS Con-
troll of Public Utilities.
III. o. Castor Makes This State
ment to the Kansas Bar.
ANNUAL BANQUET TONIGHT
Justice Burch Will Preside a.
Toastmaster at Dinner.
DIR. S. S. Estey VIII Speak on
"View of an Outsider"

Politics is the obstacle which con-
fronts city control of public utilities,
H. o. Castor. of Topeka, declared to-
day in a speech before the state bar
association. Castor, who was former
ly an attorney for the state public
utilities commission. urged an extern
sion of the municipal franchise period
and adoption of an indeterminate per-
nit policy. This policy would enable
cities to condemn and take over utili-
ties at any time the city desired to
operate or provide its own service
Castor told the lawyers the most
difficult question before the country
at this time is the>eXtent to which the
government should control or regu-
late public utilities and common car
riers engaged in interstate business.
Much of his speech, however, was de-
voted to the question of municipal
utilities He spoke of the public serv-
ice corporations which obtained the
short term twenty year franchises in
stead of perpetual permits.
State Is Far Removed.
The obstacle to city control of pub
lie utilities is the fact that the utility
is thereby always drawn into politics."
said Castor. 1T is either running the
city administration it's rights are
being absolutely disregarded by the
city administration. Again, the diff
Guilty of the state regulating body gov
erning utilities in the various cities is
that the state body is far removed
from the place of operation 1t may
investigate all it pleases, but it can
not ascertain the exact truth or I'M
derstand the exact situation as well as
can those in close proximity.
'Waterworks, electric light and gas
companies are usually granted a fran
chise for period of twenty years and
in many instances in the state at the
end OF twenty years the utility has
been compelled to tear down its plant
and move out of town for the reason
that the city itself has desired to mum
icipally construct and operate such
utility. Under such conditions a util-
ity is entitled to a rate which will pay
1t a fair compensation and at the same
time absolutely amortize its property
during the franchise period thus bur-
dening unduly the public using that
service.
In many states of the union there
are laws providing for indeterminate
permits, providing a method by which
the cities may at any time condemn
and take over the property if they de-
sire to municipality operate them. This
is undoubtedly sound economic law
and in the Judgment of the speaker
will sooner or later become the mum
icipal law of the land"
Annual Banquet Tonight.
Sessions of the state bar association
Will Gnu lohiSiiI Win eiio eiiiiiuoi 20
quet at the Masonic temple. Justice
Rousseau A. Burch, associate justice
of the supreme court, will preside as
POSTMASTER. Following is the pro-
gram:
Lawyers and Conservation"-J. B.
Tomlinson, Independence 81 do de-
sire we may be better strangers"
Are Lawyer1ess Days Coming p
r. J. Higgins, Kansas City. still you
keep O. the windy side of the law"
"Camouf1age"-B,eF F. Endres, Leav-
| enworth. THE universal language of
| mankind"
Views of an Outsider"-Dr. S. S.
Estey, Topeka 80 wad some power
the giftie gle US, To see oursefs as
| ithers see US.
The banquet will be held promptly
| at $50 O'Clock.