New-York tribune., 1921-06-01
Sees All Light
Concerns Under.
State Control
Vice-President Of Chicago
Company Predicts Rule
Similar 10 Thai Of Inter.
state Commerce BODY
Home Rule Is Obsolete
Says Small Cities Can Ges
Cheap Electricity Only
by M a q sing Stations
Spec,a, Dispatch to The Tribune

1
CHICAGO May 31.-Publc utilities,
especially those providing electric light
and and power, have grown to such an
extent that municipal home rule is
impossible. State rule by fair utility
commissions is the most adequate at
present, and he time is near when
all public utilities will be governed
by Interstate bodies similar to the
Interstate Commerce Commission in
its supervision of transportation, ac-
cording to Martin j. insult.
Mr. insult, who is vice president of
the Middle West Utilities Company, of
Chicago, gave this opinion in his ad-
dress as president. opening the forty
fourth convention of the National
Electric Light Association to-day at
the Drake Hotel.
More than 1000 delegates from all
parts of the country are expected to
be in Chicago to attend the convcn-
ton, which will be concluded Friday.
OF this number more than $500 had
registered to-day.
"The exponents of the home rule ideas
ment in this industry that is taking
place everywhere" Mr.. insult said He
asserted that 81 ,000,000 900 will be re-
quired by the electric industry every
year for the next five years in expan-
sion programs, and that the industry
to-day represents investments of $5,-
600 100000.
Few have any idea" he continued
in speaking of home rule, "of the ex
tent Of the transmission system built
in territories other than those IN
which we are particularly engaged. BY
building less than seventyfve miles
of transmission system to-day, st,
Paul, Minneapolis and cities beyond
chose centers can be connected through
Chicago to Louisville, Cincinnati ard
other cities of the Middle West. In
Texas there is a system having over
500 miles of transmission lines, serving
approximately ninety communities.
Such developments have not been con-
fined to any particular section of the
country.
Day of City Control Past
THE day Of municipal control of
utilities have gone and we are in the
period of state control, with the pos
sibility that in the time CT many of us
we shall have reached the stage where
interstate control may become advisa
Bile. With the passing of control, there
has largely passed the day OF munich
pal ownership. The only way by which
medium sized cities and smaller com
munlties can be provided with efficient
electrical service at reasonable rates
is by the nlassing Of the production of
energy in great central stations To-
Gated where the energy can be gener-
ated at the lowest cost and distributed
from these over large areas"
The present convention, according to
it's officials. is regarded as one of the
most important ever held by the asso-
citation because plans are to be con-
sidered for nationwide development
Of the industry on scale never before
proposed, which program includes
great development in the electrifica
tlon of steam railroads.
The delegates to the convention were
welcomed to Chicago by James w
Breen, first Assistant Corporation
Counsel, representing Mayor Thomp-
son, to whose speech response was