Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-18

Return on commissions yalua-
ton of last six months of 1918,
with Accent maximum wage scale,
and e07 per cent allowance for de-
prSefation, 4 per cent.
Return on commissions yalua-
Eion. year 1918. had present 50-cent
maximum wage scale been in eff
feet. $50 per cent
Return on commissions vaius-
ton, year ending June 30, 1919, had
present 50-cent maximum wage
scale been in effect. ] so per cent
In addition to chopping OF a
million dollars from the com
pany's evaluation figures. the utili-
ties commission gave a hot reply
10 the railways request that the
wage trouble Of between the cor
poration and the men be consider
ed in making the decision on the
fare petition.
This commission" says the de-
cision, sis established to regulate
public utility companies, not to
settle disputes between employer
. and employee.
wage agreement conditioned
upo2 future action of this COM
migs7Sp is manifestly against pub
lie policy. and undertakes to place
upon this commission the burden
of deciding questions and adjust
ing controversies which are wholly
outside the scope of the powers
conferred by statute upon the COM
mission"
The railway company filed a
supplemental petition with the
commission about the time a strike
of street car employees was immin-
ent in the tri-cities In that petit
ton mention was made of wage
agreement dependent on the fare
increase granted by the commits
sion. Early in June, before the
strike was threatened, the COM
pany had asked the commission to
defer its decision until the wage
scale could be adjusted. The wage
scale was temporarily adjusted a
week after the suppremeltan petit
ton was filed. but the entire wage
problem is again up in the air and
may threaten trouble at any time.
Calls II bargaining.
The commission declares that it
must determine the amount pre-
scribed for operating expenses, but
says that amount must be found
from experience and from fixed
factors. ITO permit the parties to
speculate upon the action of the
commission, states the report,
and to make. their bargains con-
tingent upon the order to be en-
tered by the commission would be
to QFsrthrow every principle which
SHOULD control the commission in
fine exercise of its. regulatory au-
thority.
The presentation o. this con-
tract to the commission is an ap :
peal for the exercise of an author
ity which under the law the COM
mission does not possess.
When wage agreements which
do not speculate upon the action
Of the commission are presented,
they will receive the consideration
10 which they are entitled"
The commission reduced the valu-
alton of the Tri-City Railway COM
pany more than 100000 on the
following grounds:
1. Unimproved land north of
Watch Tower park should be ex-
cluded in vsluing the property en-
ployed in public service.
, Unimproved portion of Camp
bells island can not be included in
valuing properties for rate-fxing
purposes. >.-..-.
5. Land at Second avenue and
Twenty-third street, Rock Island,
used by the Peoples Power com
.nany. must be excluded.
NJ. Ellison property at Seventh
avcAue and Twenty-seventh street,
Rock~fsland. must be excluded be
cause it is not necessary to the OPP.
Grafton of the street car system.
5. A cottage at Fourth avenue
and Thirty-fifth street. Moline, and
lot at Fifteenth avenue and
Twelfth street. East Moline, are ex-
Guided for the same purpose.
6. An item of $4,000 paid as a
forfeit to the city of East Moline is
rejected as a valuation.
I. The amount set aside by the
company for cash working and ma
terials and materials is alleged to
be SET 600 too high.
s. The company's figures for de-
probation are, it is alleged, much
too high.
Rate Is Enough.
The commission says that the
requirement of reasonable and
lust rate of return on the property
of the petitioners devoted to the
public use will be satisfied If the
petitioners are permitted to earn
return of approximately Z per cent
upon the fair value of the property
used in the. public service.
If the increased wage scale,
which was made effective Sept. 1,
1918. had been in effect during the
entire year of 1918 the company.
would still have earned 81 per
cent, according to the commission
ers.
1.-The commission finds" says the
report in discussing the decision.
that the present rates of fares
charged are just and reasonable
rates. and that the proposed ad-