Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-02

members Of the House were confronted
directly with the question of whether
they were to legislate for the people who
sent them here or whether they were to
Iegislate for the interests Of what he de-
clared is an immense lobby formed to
work against the bill to abolish the com
mission.
BARKER ASKS FULL
CONSIDERATION
Mr.. Barker appealed to the Representa-
tves to vote for the minority report In
order that the bill might be printed and
laid on the desks so that It might be con-
sidered> fully before brought to a hnal
vote. He declared there Is q widespread
feeling among the people that there Is
something wrong with the commission
and he declared 1t is up to the Legisla-
ture to find out what this is and cor
rect It.
at IS my opinion that now is the
time to consider checking the power and
operations of this commission" he de-
clared. He referred to the recent de-
cision IN the Lafayette Water Company
case, where the commission refused to
increase rates, as a confession of the sins
of the commission.
Others who spoke in favor Of the mi
nOrity report were Representative Claude
4. Smith Of Gibson County and Rus
sell K. Bedgood of Ttppecanoe County,
also cO-authOrs Of the bill. Mr. Smith
declared the commission act was passed
IN one Of the most disgraceful sessions in
the history of the State, that Of 1913. It
was passed by Democratic Legislature,
he said, and not a Republican session.
ard he added that now the Democratic
party is trying to clear itself of the ac-
ton II took at that session
DAVIS RESENTS
INFERENCE.
Representative Davis resented the in
ference made by Smith that eleven mem
bers of the committee had not exercised
their free judgment in signing the ma
jOrity report favoring indefinite post
ponement. He declares fOrty-One letters
and kilograms had been received by him
asking killing of the bill, whereas only
two had been received favoring the abol-
ishment OF the commission.
He declared 1t was an issue of wheth-
er Indiana Is to be the first Of the forty
States Of the Union having commissions
OF this kind to abolish the utility COM
mission.
He declared the opposition to the cont
mission was coming from men who we've
not fully acquainted with the act, and
with those who had not taken full ad-
vantage OF the law. He said there had
been no opposition stated to the theory
Of the law.
BILL OUTSTANDING
FEATURE OF SESSION.
The bill TO kill the public service com
mission and 10 revive in its stead the old
railroad commission has been the out
standing feature Of the House session.
Municipalities and individuals over the
entire State have Joined in the con-
troversy and have been besNging their
Representatives, arguing for and against
the elimination of the commission.
The fact that the commission made
many rate increases under the emergency
clause without obtaining a proper eval-
uation of the property in question is held
by many 10 be the cause Of its present
predicament.
House members who still believe It
can be saved are considering an amend
nent that would prohibit emergency rate
increases without the utility IN question
being properly evaluated. This, they de-
clare. would remove much of the present
dissatisfaction over the actions of the
commission.
Representatives Of cities like Evans.
Vile, La Porte and Delphi appeared be-
fore the committee, which held public
hearings on the bill and urged the adOp-
ton Of the measure. They took this
stand in order to regain control Of the
public utilities within their Jurisdiction
The fact that under the proposed bill
utilities will revert to a pre-war basis
and viii again be in the hands Of city
councils, was described hy many at the
meeting as q vicious system" The dan
gers OF city controlled utilities was held
up at every turn by friends of the utility
law.