Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-10-01
READsTOWN CONTENTION
STATE RAILROAD COMMISSION
APPEALED TO
Findings and Order Are Made in Wa
ter and Light Matters in our
Southern Neighbor
Especial Correspondence TO the Censor)
Madison, September 10, 1919.

Madison, september ~, 1919.
The Railroad Commission in a de
lcision handed down today ordered tbs
Village Board of Readstown to form
from it's board a water and light com.
mission that would have charge of the
Operation of the water and light util.
tiles owned and operated by the vii.
lage. The case before the commiss-
ion in the form Of a complaint sign.
ed by 26 citizens which alleged that
the water and light service furnished
were wholly inadequate. The COM
plainants alleged further that the un-
satisfactory service was due to ex-
travagant management of the utilities
by the village board. They asked the
commission to restrain the board from
further expanding any more money In
building and operating dam on the
Kickapoo river, by which dam the
board was trying to generate sufficient
energy to operate the water works
and furnish light.
The village of Readstown has a pop
ulation in and adjacent to it of about
400, and the testimony showed clearly
that the lapses in service and the
defective service of both utilities had
reached the point where some relief
was imperative. The commission ex-
planned to the compliments that it
was not within its power to order the
board to cease attempting to develop
hydroelectric energy, though it found
that the service was very poor, and
the city's method of keeping its util-
| ity accounts very defective. The vii
lage officers contend that with little
further expenditure they can make
the dam a good generating power
and that once this was brought about
the service would not be subject to the
frequent interruptions it is now suf-
fering from.
In the order handed down today the
commission requires the village board
to create committee or commission
to supervise the utilities operation
Such a commission would secure ex-
pert advice and would be enabled to
greatly improve the service.
| At the hearing in the case held or
June 18th, at Readstown, H. P. Proc
tor, Jr., attorney, represented the
complainants, and N. L. Ewers, pres
ident, T. L. Flanagan, village clerk
V. B. Ewers, treasurer, R. E. Thomas
and J. Ward represented the village
board.
The railroad commission is also con
Quoting an investigation into the pres.
ent toll rates of the Wisconsin Tele.
phone Company and will hold hear.
ing at Madison on October IA. Soor
after the Postmaster General tool
over the telephone and telegraph lines
he ordered rates put into effect which
greatly increased the cost of long dis.
lance telephoning. The Wisconsin
Telephone Company filed these rates
for approval, which were denied by
the Railroad Commission. However
the Supreme Court held that the state
had no authority while the lines were
operated by the Federal Government
When congress passed the law relin
| gushing Federal control it provided
that these increased rates remain il
force four months unless changed BY
state authorities. The commission has
started this case in order to compe
the telephone company to install rea
sonable rates. The burden of PROOF
is on the telephone company and al
persons affected by the toll rate:
fought to be represented at the hear
| ing