The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-15
Move to Repeal Provision in
Kansas P. U. C. Act.
Let State Do Regulating Is
Meaning Of Action.
PUT PLANK m PLATFORM
Raise Issue in Preliminary
Campaign Is Belief.
Strength to Utilities Commits
sion-Helps Small Cities.
BY A. L. sHULTz.

1t looks as tho the state administra-
ton will offer a new cure for the i'm
provement of the public utilities act
when the next state wide campaign
opens. Speakers who work Under the
advice, counsel and direction of high
state house authority, this week rec
commended to the league of municipal
tiles that the home rule provision in
the p. U. c. act be repealed.
Just now every town in Kansas reg
uIates the affairs of its own utilities
so long as the utility does not operate
in two or more towns. The kindly sug-
gestion offered during the meeting in
Lawrence was to the effect that the
state woulS take this responsibility off
the shoulders of the individual towns
and cities and do all the regulating.
The mere fact that the assembled
mayors, councifmen and commission
ers didn't destroy any furniture in
their demonstration is probably due
to the fact that heads Of the various
city governments hadn't had time to
think it over. -
There is quite a probability that re-
moval of the home rule plan may be
offered in all seriousness to the state
next year. 1t is now being decorated
and painted in such aIluring colors
that the temptation of grabbing the
plan will be almost irresistible.
Small Towns Troubles.
According to the story which was
told at Lawrence the average country
town has a lot Of trouble trying to
fight the rate hikes or the public ufil-
tiles which employ smart lawyers and
present entirely illogical issues in a
most logical manner. So the state
will offer to take over the response
b.lity. OF course it would mean more
good state jobs for lawyers and ac
countants and engineers and clerks
and stenographers. But no enterpris-
ing state administration ever COM
planned because there were too many
Jobs to distribute among friends.
1t was probable that delegates to
the league meeting hadn't thought the
matter over carefully before it was
presented. Maybe that was the rea-
son they didn't cheer more loudly.
Maybe 1t was Because they couldn't
think of a way in which to dispose of
their local legal department for gen.
craI affairs even tho the towns dele
gated all utility regulations to the
state.
Action by state representative who
attended the Lawrence meeting was
the first open move to present a plan
for putting new support behind the
public utilities act. The state commits
sion was under hard fire during the
last session of the legislature. 1t
hasn't gained much strength-under the
fire of n. A. Turner, state auditor,
who has pointed to the fact that Wash
ington has been a rather constant lure
To commission members who made the
trips at state expense.
Howard Against It All.
Recently Senator Dick Howard of
Arkansas City stated that he would be
a candidate on a platform of repeating
both the public utilities act and indus
trial court laws. His platform, tho,
isn't likely to appeal to either faction
HeNa HN~.I Lot
control in Kansas. On several OcoA-
sions the utility lobby in the legisla-
ture has shown clearly that it pre-
ferred some form of general state reg
ulation for corporations which served
a number of towns and cities rather
than dealing with each municipality
separately. The Howard plan also
meets with general disfavor among
persons who have sought to defend
the law since its enactment in 1911.
Now it is likely that removal of the
home rule provision may be offered
with the hope that it will give Il new
element of strength to the act and a
new confidence in the need for a state
commission. There is also the posi-
bility that in the action of the inter
state commerce commission in assuTn-
ing jurisdiction over intra-state rail-
road rate affairs tat friends e the
commission see a lessening of the au-
thority which the state formerly as
serted. Thus some new responsibility
would be needed to impress the Iegis-
lature with the necessity of continu-
ing the present fat appropriations
Several delegates who attended the
Lawrence meeting as representatives
of Kansas cities anticipated a move
to put home rule repeal plank in the
next Republican platform. 1t is also
likely that the issue may be raised
in the pre-primary campaign.