The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-11-12
R. R. REGULATION
URGED BY BOARD
Utility Commissioners Con-
denim Public Ownership
At Convention.

Washington, Nov. 9.-Public own
ership and operation of railroads has
failed wherever it has been properly
tested, declared a committee report
made today to the thirty-second an
nual convention of the National As
Isociation of Railway and Utilities
Commissioners in session here. The
question of private ownership with
out regulation should no longer be
considered by intelligent Investigators
as an open question, the report as
serted. 1t added that private owner
ship and operation with public regu-
lation was the only just and honest
manner of conducting the public util-
ity business of this country"
p. ]. Lucey, of Illinois, presented
the report as chairman of the COM
mittee. Dealing with cost of rail-
way operation now and before the
war, it said:
at seems remarkable that any sane
man with knowledge of the increase
in all costs of living should think OF
expect that utility corporations might
be an exception to the general rule.
The operation of these general laws
has again produced the political agi-
tator who has sought and is seeking
to make political capital out of pres
emit necessities"
Field Opposes Report.
The convention ordered the re-
port printed without other action up
on it after Commissioner Edward
Field, of Missouri, had opposed its
adoption, saying he believed in pub
lie ownership.
|. Mr.. Lucey told the convention that
the situation in Illinois regarding
the public utility commission would
"bear watching to see what comes
out of it," The governor-elect, he
said, had won on platform of NUM-
cipal ownership and home rule but
had run 400, 900 votes behind Senator
Harding because there are enough
honest Republicans in Illinois, who
didn't believe.in the program of con-
fiscation Of private property"
Obligation Of state regulatory COM
missions as regional federal commits
sions was proposed by Federal judge
George W. Anderson, of Boston. II
see no solution until our railroads
are both unified and federalized," he
told the convention, adding that the
transportation act went farther to-
ward liberalization than had been
generally recognized.
Railroads, Judge>Anderson asserted
'"should be administered as CO.
ordinated, national unit" The trans
portation act, he added, provided for
limited number of systems, thus
bowling to the old fetish of competi-
ton in service-a worship that will
be found as empty and profitless in
the future as it has been wasteful and
confusing in the past"
Results Are Appalling.
1.-THE results since March 1, 1920"
he said, "are hardly less than appall-
ng. find no sign of economy, hard
ly sign of efficiency. But the expert
ment should be tried fairly and with
entire good faith. The optimists are
entitled to their day. Congress has so
determined.
"The day of any considerable con-
troll over rates by the states Is nearly
If not quite passed What is needed.
now that the railroads are recogniz-
ed as being essentially national in ma
ture and function, is that there shall
be a delegation by the nation to the
state officials of national power to-
gether with a guarded but adequate
right of review by the central ma
tional tribunal"
Protection of the constitutional
rights of state commissions was urg-
ed by President Walter A. Shaw in
his annual report The greatest enc
mics of regulation, he said, are poll
tics. the group which believes public
ownership Of all utilities, and ''the
improper attitude of many utilities