New-York tribune., 1920-01-01
Runvon Dislnisses
Charges Against
Utilities Board
Holds They We're Honest in
Jersey Traction Troubles;
Relieves Part Should Be
Dropped as Incompetent

TRENTON. Dec. 81. - Governor
Runyon dismissed to-day the charge of
villful neglect of duty lodged against
tho State Board Of Public Utility Com
missioners by the City Commission Of
Montclair. He absolved the five board
members Of any intention to favor the
Public Service Railway Company in ap-
uroving the zone fare system, which
has since been abandoned in favor Of
the straight seven-cent rate.
For this reason the retiring Governor
said he could not follow the suggestion
Of Montclair and remove the commits
sioners under the power vested in the
Executive by the public utilities act.
He declared, however. that honest
though all the commissioners were,
some were unfit; that the board as a
whole had consequently forfeited pub
lie confidence, and that his first act as
a state Senator in the coming legisla-
tive session would be to introduce bill
abolishing the commission and substi-
tuting another, comprising three mem
berS.
Charged Public Vas Ignored
Montclair's charges were that the
board had failed to consider public in
terest in approving the zone system.
that it neglected to ascertain the views
OF the municipalities involved, and that
it hastened action without first having
9 complete appraisal of the Public Ser
vice Railway Company's assets and liza
bilities These charges were directed
against John ". Slocum. president of
the Board Of Public Utility Commits
sioners, and his associates, Alfred S.
March, George F. Wright, Andrew Gaul
ard Harry L. Knight.
Governor Runyon. in making public
his decision to-day, said he had found
that whatever errors Of Judgment were
involved the board had acted honestly
in an effort TO meet an emergency, and
approved the zone system in accordance
with the advice of recognized experts
No evidence to the contrary was ad-
duced.
But" he added. at IS clear to me
that the Board of Public Utility Com
missioners has long since lost the con-
adence of the public, and the public
confidence once having departed. the
boards usefulness is also gone. In
the present case. and with the impor-
tance and farreaching effects of this
boards decisions, suspicion and mis-
trust loom large and become epidemic.
Thi7 is peculiarly unfortunate in this
day OF ever-rsing prices.
Some "Out of Place"
"For some members of the board I
have great respect. I believe thor
oughly in their honesty and know them
to be possessed of large ability. But,
unfortunately, certain members of the
board have proved themselves out of
place. | Will grant that they are honest
and sincere, but their unntness is so
marked that every member of the
board able and Incompetent alike has
been made to suffer And with the
present membership of the board main
tanned without 2 break, conditions Will
not improve. | am, therefore, free to
say that if the absolute power of re-
moval were mine should exercise
I. ar power al least to the extent of re-
moving from said board those whom
considered unfit, replacing them with
men whose honesty would be coupled
with notable ability, to the end that the
public should know that their interests
were in fair and competent hands
THE Legislature has the power to
protect the public interest by abolish
ing the existing commission and Gre
citing new one. While ! voted in the
Senate for the bill which added two
members to the original board Of three
members, | did so in the belief that
the public interest and volume of busi-
ness demanded such additional mem
bers. | no longer believe that to be
the case, but am convinced that three
members are amply sufficient for the
proper transaction of the business of
the board"