The New York herald., 1922-10-08
GOVERNOR MILLER !
CHALLENGES SMITH
: Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
Miller declared that ally the increases
in telephone rates were under the Smith
administration while the rates are now
being reduced.
but that ISN'T all Of the record on
1 this telephone business. which he says
has a representative on the Public Ser
vice Commission" added Gov. Miller.
"The telephone company has for years
defeated an arte.npt in the State Lcgis-
lature to apply to them the rule that was
applied to other pubic service corpora
TONS II successfully defeated those
attempts for two years nnGer Gov. Smith.
When / recommended the reorganiza-
ton OF the Public Service Commission
! said that 1t was fair that a rule ap-
plicable to one class should be made
applicable to all. This rule that the
telephone company was trying to pre-
vent being adopted and you will see why
they were trying to. they were trying
to prevent a law giving the commission
power to put in temporary rate pend
ing rate case.
They were quite satisfied to let them
go along at the rate they were getting
II they were not going to be disturbed
until the commission reached decision
| ard so they maintained n lobby In Al
bany that fought an attempt to put in
the law provision, giving the Public
Service Commission the power to sus-
pend the rate or to put In temporary
rate in case Of a rate inquiry. Well.
their lobby didn't succeed after the first
of January, 1921.
That provision was written into the
law. and 1t happened when the present
Public Service Commission began its
investigation Of the telephone rate, the
Statewide investigation. it had not pro-
ceeded far before it said We have al.
ready discovered evidence enough tc
justify us in believing that the rates are
too high.
'In March. now listen to this. this
charge of my adversary that the tele-
phone trust has controlled the present
administration. in March, 1921. just q
month before they were legislated out
of office, and II there was no other rea.
son for that act, what / am telling
you would be reason enough, this Public
service Commission by a vote OF three
10 two increased the telephone rates In
end of the majority (three). two OF
. them were his appointees, and one OF
/, those two had been his own secretary
But that isn't all. The new commits
sion was appointed. They had not been
In office two months when they dis.
covered enough to be satisfied that the
increase was unjustified. On their own
motion they intervened. They made an
order cutting that increase IN two and
so utterly defenseless had the increase
been that they couldn't even appeal to
the courts from that order.
II an charging no one with miscon-
|, duct. He has appealed TO the record
and ! am giving II TO him, and ! say
from that record, wouldn't be justified
! In staylng--as I don't say. mind YOU
that he was not only controlled by ths
special groups that he admits but by
J this other sinister broup, as the record
shows. but / don't say that ar
willing to accept his admission, without
going any further
Water Power Charge.
On the water bower charge Gov
Miller said that while previous Gov.
ernors. including Gov Smith. had talked
for years on plans for developing tn,
State hydro-electric resources. nothing
was done until he (Miller) became Gov
ornor. Now construction work is goinf
on by the State for developing all tn,
surplus water on the canals and fol
bringing under State regulation all tn,
water power companies or grants eve
allowed by the Legislature. Under tn,
Miller water power law all the com
panies holding these old charers o
grants must come under the regulator,
powers of the State.
They win have to make their appli
cation to the water power committe,
just as everybody else does before the,
get a license to use one single bod.
, of water" continued the Governor
"The old charters will no longer be
menace In case we get the internatlona
treaty modified to permit create
diversion.
Now Mr.. Smith says he was for pub
lie development. People have been talk
ing about public development. We sal
:. that the important thing. first OF ALL wa
to see that power was developed for tn
benefit Of the people Of this State.
seemed TO us perfectly obvious tha
we should get IL developed soonest an
most efficiently and cheapest by privat
industry, for 7 do not believe that tn
public ever can engage In any undertal
ing OF that size and conduct It at 30 pc
cent of the efficiency that n private IL
dustry can conduct II.
Now the power companies have bee
asking for the privilege to develop tn
power for years. They have wanted II
unlimited right to develop It. We sal,
NO, you can't have that. We will i'm
Y pose certain conditions. And it
happens that whereas the State does n,
own all Of these power sites, or only
small part of them. wa own enough
!, hold the key and 10 bring them all und,
State regulation"
: POLICE FoRCE---S--ON sTRuKl
"A PAKrR. Ore. Oct THE entire Bak
= police force, numbering Ave pntrolme