Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-03-23
Reads Like Atlanta
THIS EDITORIAL is TAKEN FROM THE
JANUARY 18TH ISSUE OF ENGINEERING
AND CONTRACTING, A MAGAZINE PUB"
LISHED IN CHICAGO.

LISHED IN CHICAGO.
"A charge persisted in without knowledge of facts is
nothing short SANDER We may safely broaden this gen
erazaon read Persistent statements not based on IN
yesteaton of facts tantamoun to deliberate ashca
ton.
1--WE concede that the average man is yet very
less his assertions and that he nothing eprehensbe
in being wrong But when being wrong in assertion
works injury someone the asserter is morally but little
j; above common liar.
During the past few years when public utility owners
and managers have been begging the public for relief from
excessively low for services rendered there have been
numbees printed assertions by public officials the
effect that existing rates high enough to yield fair
return upon actual investments Even where appaisas by
reputable engineers and audts by have beled
such assertions, rarely have the had the honesty
to investigate the facts Instead their unusual practice has
been to ignore al evidence ard persist their unprovabe
statements
ITO such pass has this form Of immortality br0ught
things that several legislatures to be asked to
rescind laws relating to state regulation o. public utility
rates When mayors and other public officials persist in
telling the public that street railways proftabi carry
passengers at and cents is it any wonder that many
people have to regard state utility commissions
being the tools of utility companies?
In one state the gcycrfor has ou5tcd all the Utility
missiones because they incurred the ill will OF eertan
people of Increases granted public ui
ue In another state OF the most fearless and cafAbs
utiy commissioners has resigned, apparently Disguised
with the charges made merely by some mayors but BY
some newspapers that the commissions has done nothing
out raise utility rates unnecessarily iF the engineering
societies in such states few years advance Of their
present development probably The public would receive
thoratye expressions of engineering opino& that would
contradict and perhaps silence the false stateme&of dea
gogc mayors The time is certainly overrpe fox ftests
from associations of professional and business against
ne paseess assertions and the selfish acts of
are panderng to the worst side of human nature Tie,
pubic would like to ride cars for 4 nickel 1Sey
would Ike better to ride for nothing Hence the public
not oiy Wiling to be convinced but is half convinced be-
lofe any one has spoken that the predatory railway kings
are robbmg them The silence of men who know better
engineers business and ctorSs taken as evidence
that the statements of the pandcng politicians are true
from fIi1tx r.
speaking and acting We have passed the huck' times
without number until few passings will find US ali
ridg IN the street slowly and extensively operated
as the elevators IN the typical city hall America is faceo
race with municipal ownership Of car systems opas
and electric plants Steadily and with unreIentng
the economic lite OF public utility conf anies IS being
squeezed out State commissions and counts argtryng to
be just, but an ignorant public is constantly threatening
them and doing all that can to block their efforts The
ignorance of the public mainly ascrbable to the silence
OF the who competent to speak not onlv with
authority but with freedom from selfish motives-te pro-
fessional engineers.
whether there is to be municipal ownership of all uti
ties or not professional engineers will be employed Manv
engineers think that their chances securing adeo1ate
compensation are better under public than under private
administration At all there is 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
ity commissions.
Apropos of the unsound attitude of most municipal off,
Gals relative to public utility rates. quote from recent
address before the League of California Municipalities by
W. T. creed president of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co..
e haolt VI jumping at conclusions without knowl-
edge OF the facts, cite the official procedure when an
application for increased rates is filed
The city council meets 1t forthwith passes resolu-
ton and nstructs the city attorney oppose the appa-
ton The city attorney issues his public pronouncemen
duly accompanied by photographs saying: 81 will fight to-
the last ditch he raises his eyes heaven and prays to
God to give him strength that justice may triumph and right
prevail So
Never in all my experience, and have been in the
public utility business good many years as lawyer and
as an executive, never in all my experience have ever
neard 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 the public inter-
est Apparently public officials are not concerned
about the facts but awart nevertheless in their
illusions.
rate inquiry ought to be an adversary proceed
ing but should be mutual and cooperative Investigation
OF the facts proceeding upon the theory that either too
high too low rate is injury both to the utv ana
to the public" -
Advertisement
NOTICE In. n