Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-14
COMPANIES OF
STATE IN NEED
OF so MILLIONS
Hoosier Public Utility Associa-
ton Elects New Of
fcers.
BIG FUTURE DEMANDS


the needs Of the State, accord
ing to Frank e. Bonn, of the Home
Telephone and Telegraph Company, OF
Ft, Wavne, MIR. Bohne made this estimate
today in an address before a joint meet
ing of the Indiana Pubic Utility Asso-
citation and the School Of Commerce and
finance OF indiana University. lie spoke
on the subject "ProDleDs~ OF Expansion
Confronting Utilitlss
Much needed Expansion was arrested
or deferred duF1ng the war because OF
inability to oNain adequate rates. SAID
Mr.. Bohn. /''Now we anticipate a
splendid REVIVAL OF business. We can
take our part in 1t, the pubic utility
industry must expand and extend
facilities. me problem is, now snail we
obtain the money with which to bring
about this expansion"
The annual meeting or the Pubnc
Utility Association opened TO-DAY WITH
the election OF officers for 49,. Charles
L. Henry Of Indianapolis, head OF the
indianapolis x Cincinnati Traction co.
was rejected president, The other or
hcers chosen were ). Il. MuuholIand, TT.
Wayne, general manager OF Northern IN
diana Gas and Electric Company, ana
I. J. Haas of Evansville, general man
sger Of the Southern Indiana Gas and
Electric Company, as vice presidents;
Marshall V. KoDb, OF the WABASH valley
Electric Company, OF Clinton, as sec
retaryi Charles {. Perry, president OF
the indianapolis Light and Heat COM
pany, as treasurer ana John Z. MelleCt,
Of indianapolis, as executive secretary.
Following luncheon a joint session was
held with the School of Commerce ana
finance, the program including an al
dress by Arthur W. Brady of Anderson,
president OF the Union Traction Company
OF Indiana, on Utilities ana the PUP
lie" F. a. Bryan Of South Bend, Pres1-
dent Of the Indiana and Michigan
Electric Company, on customer own
ership;" Howard a. D1u, OF the Rich
mond Water Works Company, on ''Ine
Utility Load as an indication or In
dustriaI Conditions" and Dean W. A
Kawles, OF the School or CommeEce ana
Finance, on University Training for
Business Career.
At a dinner tonight Edgar Blessing, OF
the public service Will be the cnle1
speaker.
Mr.. Bohn, reading q paper prepared
after careful study OF the utility s1tua-
tton, said:
In the face of the most discourag ing
conditions and circumstances, utility men
have struggled and fought the past few
years to measure up to our responsibilities
to render service to our old customers
and to expand and enlarge our properties
whenever and wherever In the public in
terest In spite Of the fact that during
the war most of us were losing money
while other businesses were making large
profits, because our rates for service were
fixed and our expenses, or the cost of fur
nishing that service, were increasing as
prices scared. we not only carried on, but
wherever in the public interest we con-
sidered it necessary, we expanded if pos
sible--not as extensively as we should.
looking to the future and its needs. but
as best we could under the circumstances.
Much needed expansion, therefore. was of
nece- 3ity arrested or deferred during the
war.
And today We find ourselves in a posi-
tion Of working our plants to capacity
and q demand fer our respective services
both present and future which we cannot
supply unless we add to our facilities
unless we expand-all of which requires
capital.
I'VE are all looking hopefully and con-
ddentially forward to d new era of pros
perity, possibly uucXcelIed in the couu-
try's history. How soon It may come
none can successfully prophesy. We can
not overlook the truth. however that all
signs point to the fact that we are nov
standing on the threshold of a revival Of
business. The state or community that
awakens to the vital necessity Of its pub
lie utilities, to its progress and economic
development, and encourages the neces-
sary expansion Of those utilities by in
sisting that they get a square deal at the
hands of the regulatory body win be the
first TO respond to the effects Of renewed
prosperity, because a State, community
or city can never grow faster than her
utilities or extend further than they reach
The prosperity of a city or town, its
aIertness. its up-to- date methods, its
progressiveness. in fact, its very char
acter are reflected directly to the extent
that they exist in its utilities. Likewise.
show me a city with brokendown, IN
healthy and restricted utilities and | shall
show you a city living in the backwoods
OF civilization with no parks and improved
streets and alleys, unkept homes and IN
improved public buildings. a lack Of civic
pride and self-respect. and withal a slip
shod. shiftless. doing. Indifferent popula-
ton, mighty poor and unattractiye place
70 live and DO business Help your utili-
ties, therefore. TO finance their expansion
in the realization than their financial
standing is as vital to the life and de
velopment Of your community as its bank
or any other agency. Permit the utilities
therefore, to develop and expand and the
city will follow. No city can build be
yond the lines Of her street railways. or
the area covered by her teeuhone and
electric light leads and gas and water
mains
your local community, in most cases.
can not supply the necessary capital
required by your utilities for expansion.
Therefore. the financial necessities Of de
velopment carry us to foreign fields for
money. This foreign capital must be
forthcoming II the community is to grow
and it viii be forthcoming if the inves-
tor knows that the public Of that com
munity is back of It utilities, that invest
ments in its utilities VII be respected, that
the State regulatory body will grant rates
that will allow for unforeseen emer-
gencies as well as current operat ting ex-
penses and enable them 10 earn rea-
sOnable return on the money invested
therein, without the least shadow Of a
doubt, without pairing and cutting legiti- /
mate operating expenses to the bone at
the sacrifice Of service and good business /
practice. Otherwise it viii look for fields I
where It can expect such treatment.
THE problem Of expansion Of public !
utilities is mostly a financial one and
so closely is its solution related to the
interests Of the average citizen that it |
becomes the communitys problem as well !
a q hg If ha ,7riIi+-