Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-23
UTILITY BOARD
STARTS To WORK
MiddIesex Water Matter Be-
fore New Body as Well as
Ten Cent Trolley Fare.
IBy Evening News corrsspond.ntI

LBy Evening News Correspondent.l
TRENTON. March 23.-With cam
era men clicking machines and a
crowd Of spectators looking on, the
new Board of Public Utility Com
missioners was formally inducted to
office here yesterday afternoon in the
presence of Governor Edwards In
the latter's reception room at the
state house. Messrs. Treacy, Osborne
and Bacharach took oath of office
which was administered by Frank
Transeu, chief clerk in the secre-
tary of states Office. Governor Ed
wards posed for the movies" as he
signed the commissions for the new
members of the board and later
stood with them in a group for the
photographer.
The commission Immediately got
down to business and organized for
the heavy work ahead of 1t by select
ing John ]. Treacy of Jersey City
as chairman. Mr.. Treacy has al
ready had three years experience on
the board, having served from 1919
to 1917. and was the logical man for
this position, One of the first things
the new board took up was the ten
cent fare applications of the Public
Service Railway Company and the
Trenton Traction Corporation. In
the latter case the increase from
seven to ten cents was postponed for
three months, to date from Febru-
ary 2S, last.
In the case of the Public Service
q similar order will be issued next
Tuesday when the board meets here.
unless in the meantime the bill
which was passed in the House this
week permitting continuance for
mother three months OF a'suspension
Df rates after there has been one sus-
pension for this period, is passed.
The Public Service increased fare
was suspended by the old Public
Utility Commission until April 1, and
q the new board adds another three
months to this. that will bring It to
July /.
One of the interesting things de-
dded by the new board was the fact
[hat 1t will need $4,000 to look
lfter the regulation of the jitneys, If
he bill which is pending In the leg
stature is enacted into law. II the
legislature passes 1t the board men,
sers decided they would ask the law
makers for this amount of money as
heir engineers have declared this
Mm will be needed to meet the cost
Of additional employees and other ex
penses incident, to the operation Of
the act.
The application pending before
the board by the Elizabethtown
Water Company, which serves the
city of Elizabeth, the Plainfield-
Union Water Company and several
pther related concerns which serve
communities in Union and Middle
sex counties for a fifty per cent in
crease in rates will be taken up for
hearings the last Thursday In April
1T Newark.
The board yesterday decided to
retain temporarily all its present
staff of assistants including Coun-
pel L. Edward Hermann, of Jersey
City and Alfred N. Barber, of this
eity. secretary.
The first hearing Of the new
board of three $4,000 members will
lake place on Thursday at its New
lrk Offices. When the new commits
non began its labors yesterday the
hrst thing confronting 1t was sched-
ule of over sixty cases listed for con-
liberation involving everything from
the ten cent fare application down
10 routine requests of companies
for the permission to locate tele-
graph poles and similar matters.