The Washington times., 1919-11-15
MAY INCREASE
UTILITY SCOPE
Congress to Give Serious
Thought to enlarging Powers
of District Commissioners.
BY BILL PRICE


winter. utility problems In the Dis
that may force a merger of the two
car companies, Congress viii give
serious thought to the matter of en-
larginx the powers Of the Public UtiI-
sties Commission here so that 1t may
not only fix rates but also fix wages
when disputes arise between utilities
Rnd their employees.
Members OF the Commission have
about reached the conclusion that
tAere Is no good reason why public
utilities should cease operation
through labor or other disputes and
that to protect the public In its rights
q constant service the Commission
should have power equally to pass
upon wages and rates
Wisconsin Is one of the advanced
States OF the country In this respect
The new law there ties together wages
and rates This authority Is lodged
In the State Railroad Commission
The commission, upon Investigation
ia q wage dispute, may order the in
crease in wages and simultaneously
an Increase In rates to produce q rea-
sonaole return upon legitimate invest
rnent
In more places than in Wisconsin
there Is strong advocacy for the idea
that II utility companies are to be
rfxidiy regulated In behalf of the pub
III: required to give service; held to
reasonable returns upon legitimate
Investment, the public should be
equally protected against the possi-
esiity Of q prolonged strike that would
efe up transportation and unsttle the
business and social life Of a commu-
nifty.
weaBs E.l Tie-Ups-
Such legislation. II is today pointed
cat, practically takes away from pub
lsc utilities the arbitrary right they
have eontended for OF denying de-
mands made upon them by their en-
psoyes and precipltAtinx a strike. 1t
would compel both the employer and
empioye to submit TO an authorized
commission the questions in dispute
and to abide by the decision rendered.
That would. in this city at least, end
recurring prospects Of strikes and
tie-ups from Which all the public suf-
fer.
In England the rights of the unor'
ganized middle classes to protection
against tie-up of public utilities
either by organized labor or entrench-
ed capital are being worked out along
the lines OF organization that are
attracting wide attention in this coun-
tYy
Tn. fundamental idea Of this En-
giish organization Is that the rights
OF the general public are immeasura
bly, greater than those of monied
combinations or labor combinations,
and that the public shall hold the
whip hand by passing upon questions
IN dispute and settling them along
fair and rational lines
Colonel Kuts's Strong Ideas
Colonel Kutx, engineer commission
ap OF the District. and chairman OF
rhe Public Utilities Commission
here. is a student OF these utility
questions and consistently SYM
pathetic with the idea that the public
is paramount He takes the broad
view that the scope OF public utilities
should be broadened to include all
TRANSPORTATION, steam or otherwise
all foods and fuels upon which the
public Is dependent for existence and
health No strike or lockout should
BE permitted in any OF these neces-
stiles OF life, in his opinion.
In the last analysis this would
mean not only restriction OF organiz-
ed labor but restriction OF profiteer-
ing, inasumch as the company oper-
ating the utility would be held 10
reasonable returns upon legitimate in
vsstment just as the labor organiza-
tion would be held to reasonable
vlges.
IN the case of coal. for instance, IL
would be classed a public necessity
and any authorized commission would
have the power to settle not only the
matter OF the wages OF the miners,
but also the PROFITS TO be made by the
companies.
a.. -, 81. ..rfz,, .A.rzaS nom
made " that the miners have for two
years been working under a low war
wage scale, while the enormous In
crease in the price OF coal has gone
into huge profits for the operators.
Let Public Know E1p~nditures.
This would mean, briefly, that the
public would at all times know
whether its money was going into
fair wages for miners or into ex-
esssive profits 70 the mine owners.
The public now does not know the
facts but toots the bills right along.
The Cummins amendment to the
Senate bill relating TO steam railroad
bins. carries q no-strike provision as
TO railwa, employees which some labor
leaders have declared would not be
oseyed IL enacted into law.
Colonel Kutz's idea as to somewhat
similar legislation for the District
would probably be strongly opposed
That doAs not prevent this official
and many others from believing that
raxe and other disputes should be
settled compulsorily by the commits
sion just as is the question Of rates
and returns to the utility companies
washin gton, IL Is made plain, is Pc
cuiiariy . city OF unorganizei salary
people-!vhat they call the middle
ciaSses'' In England-and these people
are being rc<ularly bled by cxfortion
fr various forms.
Fr1EMEy HUNT BURNING AWNING.