The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1921-03-24
Reads Like Atlanta
THIS EDITORIAL. is TAKEN FROM THE
JANUARY 18TH ISSUE OF ENGINEERING
AND CONTRACTING, A MAGAZINE PUB
LISHED IN CHICAGO.


"A charge persisted in without knowledge of facts is
nothing short OF SANDER We may safely broaden this gen.
erazat;on read Persistent statements not based
vesgation of facts tantamount deliberate fashca
ton
I'VE concede that the average is yet very
less III his assertions and that he nothing reprehensbe
In being wrong. But when being wrong in assertion
works injury someone the is morally but little
above common liar
During the past few years when public utility
and managers have been Begging the public for relief from
eXcessvclow rates for services rendered there have been
numberless printed assertions by public officials to the
effect that existing high enough yield fair
return upon actual investments Even where appraisa by
reputable engineers and ad by have belied
such assertions rarely have the had the honesty
to investigate the facts Instead their unusual practice has
been to ignore all evidence and persist their Improbable
state T7ents
TO such pass has this form of immortality brought
things that several state legislatures be asked to
escnd laws relating to regulation of public utility
rates When mayors and other public officials persist in
telling the public that railways can protaby carry
passengers at and it any wonder that many
people have regard state utility commissions
beng the tools OF utility companies?
In one state the governor has ousted ali the utility
nlSsioners because they incurred the i'll will Of certain
people on account of increases granted public ut
ties In another state Of the fearless and capable
utly commissioners has resigned apparently Disguised
with the charges made merely by mayors but by
some newspapers that the commission has done nothing
but raise utility rates unnecessarily. If the engineering
societies IN such states few years advance
present Development probably the public would receive
contradict and perhaps silence the false statements of dema
gogic mayors The time is certainly overrpe for protests
from associations OF professional and business against
the baseess assertions and the selfish Of politicians who
are panderng to the worst side Of human nature. The
public would like to ride nickel They
would like better ride for nothing Hence the public is
not only willing to be convinced but is half convinced
tore any has spoken that the predatory railway kings
are robbng them. The silence Of men who know better
engineers business and edtors-s taken as evidence
that the statements of the panderng politicians are true
1t will not do to excuse ourselves from the duty of
speaking and acting We have passed the buck times
without number, until few passings will find us all
riding IN the street slowly and extensively operated
as the elevators III the typical city hall America face to
lace with municipal ownership of street systems gas
and electric plants Steadily and with unreentng pressure
the economic life OF public utility companies is being
squeezed out State commissions and courts are trying to
be just but an ignorant public is constantly threatening
them and doing all that it block their efforts The
ignorance OF the public is mainly ascribabe the silence
OF the men who most competent speak only with
authority but with freedom from selfish motives-the pro-
fessiona engineers
Whether there is be municipal ownership of all uti
ties or not professional engineers will be employed MANY
engineers think that their chances of securing ADEQUATE
compensation are better under public than under private
Administration At all there so little to choose in
that respect that engineers body be charged
with selfish motives in advocating fair rates for public
utility corporation services and fair treatment OF public ut
ty commissions.
"Apropos of the unsound attitude of most municipal Off
Gals relative to public utility quote from recent
address before the League of California Municipalities by
r. creed president of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co.:
On the habit of jumping at conclusions without know-
edge of the facts, cite the official procedure when an
application for increased rates is filed
The city council meets. 1t forthwith passes a resolu-
ton and nstrucs the city attorney to oppose the apDlca
ton The city attorney issues his public ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
duly accompanied by photographs sayng:" will fight to
the last ditch he raises his eyes to heaven and ravs t
God to give him strength that justice may triumph and right
prevail. So
Never IN all my experience, and have been in the
puohc utity business goodmany years lawyer and
as an executive never in all my experience have ever
heard or read or seen resolution by city council direct
ing city attorney to investigate the facts and to reason
from those facts to sound conclusion in the public inter
est apparently some public officials are not concerned
about the facts bat awart nevertheless in their con-
illusions ~ W."
A rate inquiry ought not to be an adversary nroceed
ing but should be mutual and cooperative nvesoao,
OF the facts proceeding upon the theory that either too
high low an injury both to a.. .t:.