The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-04-21

There are at the present time over
$4,000 soldiers undergoing treatment
in various government and private in.
stitutions or hospitals. According &c
General Pershing the number is grad,
ually increasing because of tubercular
and mental ailments, and he says that
facilities for the treatment of the I'M
fortunate men have not been provided
as rapidly as necessary. After criti-
cising the public health service for its
lack Of efficiency he adds: From all
accounts its management of hospitals
and care of sick and wounded are mat
tiers that demand early investigation
The president has asked Brigadier
General Charles G. Dawes of Chicago,
10 head the special commission 10
make "diligent inquiry" of government
department heads in an effort to find
out where the government agencies
have been lacking in authority, neg,
%lectful, or falling in caring for dis
abled service men. He asked also that
investigation be made of "the abuses
which have developed" President
Harding and General Pershing are GER
tain that something is radically wrong
with the government policy toward the
disabled men, and the Dawes commits
sion will not doubt locate the trouble
and bring about needed reforms.
Two or three years ago the repre-
sentatives Of foreign governments
were taboo in Washington if they got
further off the white lot reservation
than the state department. But here
zones Viviani of French fame, and
he goes direct to senators and the
public. And-well, no one objects or
feels hurt about it.
Like BanQuo's ghost new woes of the
public utility enterprises Of the coun.
try are ever appearing. Some people
seem TO thing it strange that these
concerns should ask more pay for their
services when their expenses have
constantly increased. But the good
sense Of the citizens in most communi-
ties has been solving the situation in
a manner consistent with local condi-
tons. The old-time contracts and
franchises have been troublesome since
they nave proved to be a misft in the
face of present conditions. Wisconsin
has been n Of the most progressive
of the states to meet the changing sit.
uations, and it appears that the Badger
state worked out and put into effect
as laws a system for the control CT
public service corporations which has
been adopted by some of the other
states. One feature of this legislation
is the indeterminate permit. This form
of franchise or permit has no fixed
term. 1t therefore encourages i'm
provement and development of the
utility by the grantee of the franchise.
At the same tine, it reserves for the
public the power at any time to take
over the enterprise upon a stipulated
basis. 1t thus protects the investment
and the public. While the most scien.
tifc, and the best adapted to establish
and maintain the proper relations be
tween the grantees of a franchise and
the public, whom these grantees
should serve, the ipdeterminate per-
init has developed so recently as to
have played little part in offsetting
existing difficulties with respect to
public utilities. But it promises so
well that the principle dominates in
the federal power commission act.
The chief claim Of this policy to con-
sideration is its possibility of proving
a remedy for unfortunate franchise
situations in many places.
While the railroad situation enjoys
the usual stage Of being acute" it
nevertheless appears that the people
living on the shortline railroads, are
getting a good many real thrills re-
sulting from rough treatment. An in
stance Of this has come before the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
1t appears that it is also before the
state authorities of Florida. The At
lanta & st. Andrews Bay Railway
company has had it's nose in the gov
eminent f%eed-barrel and has shared
muniicently in the distribution of the
1855 100000 apportioned under the
provisions of the transportation act.
This fact does not appear to have
whetted any desire on its part to bet.
ter serve the public that has been so
responsible for its easy success.
Right now it is seeking to abandon
its shortline from Panama City to st.
Andrews, a distance If between two
and three miles, on the representa-,
ton that it does not pay. The thirty
ing town Of st. Andrews is at the end
of the shortline which is in effect a
continuation of the main line, and its
industries have been built up and are
largely dependent upon the railroad
which was built by local capital ard
put into operation under requirements
that provided for its continual opera.