Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-13

the lawyers who practice in their
court. know their sentiments and
their beliefs. He stated that il there
is a necessity for superior courts let
them be established for the counties
where they are needed. In his opinion
what Is needed more is the regulation
and The decentralization of the mu-
nicipal courts. 1a'
RESPONSE OF JUDGE cLEAvEs
Hon. B. F. Cleaves, chairman of
the Public Utilities Commission, in
response. said in part, following a
happy introduction, that he would
call attention briefly to what he re-
garded the Keystone Of the arch of
public regulation" y
The present and the future sue
cess of the regulation of public serv-
ice Is absolutely a matter of educa-
ton. think you gentlemen realize
without my calling particular atten-
ton to it, that before the public
utility statute was passed, Maine was
the least regulated State, SO far as
its public service companies were
concerned, in the entire Union.
Hence when the new Commission
started its work on December /, 1914,
we found an absolutely uncharted
sea. Having in mind Judge White
houses remark, that it is just az i'm
portant that the parties to a law suit
should belieye that they had a fair
trial. as it is that they should actual
iy have fair trial, came to the con-
cluslon that the members of the
.Commission must first educate them
selves, in order to be fitted to teach
the 1--WE hundred odd public service
companies. and the several thousand
customers, this being upon the theo-
ry that the pupil would not obtain
very much benefit unless the teacher
was reasonably well informed.
Working upon the theory that
proper regulation is almost entirely
matter of education, we have. dur
ing the six years, held hundreds of
hearings, and have very nearly COW
/ cred the entire State. We
have believed that it was our duty to
nod our hearings at a place where
The people interested in the subject
matter Of the hearing in considerable
numbers might listen, absorb and go
, out into their communities with i'm
pressions obtained at first hand. This
has resulted in the Commission and
its force travelling thousands of
miles each year q travelled by steam
and electric railroads and automo-
biles approximate 1000 miles last
YEAR,, in an effort to give the public
TINS opportunity to become educated
and informed. The Commission has
+ believed that in the conclusions which
! we reach after full hearing, we
might be right 100 per. cent of the
| 'lme. but unless great majority of
those people who were being regulat-
ed believed that we were right we
| might almost as we'll have been
wrong.
| AS a result of our experiences dur
| ing the past six years, | am convinced
that the officers of every public serv-
ice company in the State have entire
| ~ changed many CT the views which
! they previously entertained In the
ffst place, they realize that they are
entitled to no secrets whatever.
| Whatever they do their patrons and
| the public in general and our Com
! mission have a right to know. They
! have realized that along with the
! riSht TO charge for services rem
! dered go certain obligations which
| may not be ignored. a considerable
number of the patrons of these com.
panles have also changed their views
! a f,f fa.
realize that they owe certain obliea-
tons and that there exists and must
exist very intimate co-partnershin
between each public service comma nv
ana Its customers, and that there
must be first a full understanding of
the rights. obligations, and duties of
each, and next careful observance
OF the same. A Public Utilities Com
| mission is simply an agency to first
determine what ought to be done and
can De reasonably done, then impress
tile companies and their customers of
the reasonableness and propriety of
DONG those things. and as nearly as
possible approximate absolute fair
ness ana justice !f az,
right in my belief that the success Of
pubic service regulation depends
largely. II not entirely, upon the cdu-
! catloh or companies and their GUS
toners, YOU can very materially helm
-FOUR LEGAL training enables You to
very readily understand what under
'ne Ia" can and ought to be done and
what may not be done. And in your
several communities, if you see fit.
you may. by getting in behind this
educational campaign. render a very
important service to your State. and
| assist in bringing about a workable
understanding between the companies
ana the customers who are rendering
ana receiving service in your locality
service is the enc thing which the
average customer requires and desires
II lie is receiving what he believes TO
be proper quality of service, the
price which ne pays within reason
able limits. is not matter Of preat
account. The customer cannot he
convinced that he is receiving all he is
paying for. unless he fully under
stands all of the problems which the
company has to meet. The COM
pany cannot render the kind Of SER
vice which the customer wants, unless
IT is receiving adequate support, and
mat adequate support does not con-
slst entirely of money paid into the
treasury of the company. There must
be cooperation between the companv
and its customers. there must be a