The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-03-15
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
SHAKEUP IS REPORTED NEAR
REPoRr-NEw MEN OF HIGH
CALBRE BEING SOUGHT
Changes Cause No Surprtss-Last Log
iElature Almost Decided 20 Abolish
the Commission
sY DWIGHT II. rETER

According 70 recent dispatches from
Charleston. the lnnS-de,aycd and much
hoped-tor shakeup IN the Public Ser
vice Commission is aoou; - take pace
Authoritative reports from charleston
have 4 shat Judge George l.. I. Nhes
resignation has been accepted oy Gov
e-nor Morgan. and thai the governor
Viii soon MI tho position Of Judge r.
q. Rider. whose term a. office expire"
MAY al 1927, but VINO has been con-
,i,uing in service ~ the governors re
quest until his Successor should DC
appointed.
The resignation? O. IuiEe W.,cs. the
chairman OF the commission comes "S
no surprise 20 persons .tNn,t.iA: WIKI iHe
rvolut!crS OF the Public Service CON-
mission since the inauguration az Gov
errcr Morgan. q little over n year aEo'
The last legislature considered very
seriously the adjustment Of tho com
mission. recognizing x as a failure. out
such drastic action was wisely 3Ohn-
dorcd AT the time. Since then there has
been moro or less publicity given -
the .rasr workings O. the COMMISSION
tha Qualifications OF the comm. SSi0nsrs
themselves and The high handed way IN
which the interests ~ ~" people OK
West Virginia were Gros>.y neglected..
The personnel OF tic comm; son was
criticized.
m: ss!cn watch ia :jsv.t : sound. :; the
proper persons he appointed as COM
u!ss!oncrs.
wnes Wanted TO Quit
From welt founded rumors current
drAoy he rast eight months. Judge
WiIeS has growu ;i:ci ~ serving on
the coamiS~.u" and has made several
efforts 10 step down ard ruI en- one
coca sion he Is said I" AaE" gone I"
Governor Morgan ard offered 10 reS'EN
H. he the governor. world rrapr"int
Jrdye Rider - the commission. Judge
Riders term having expired. This
would have given the governor an op-
por,unlty to MI Judge Wiles' pace with
a Republican had he desired. making
he majority Of the personnel ot the
commission Republican, Judge "ies
being a Democrat This the governor re-
fused 70 do. though II was understood
hat Judge Rider desired very much
10 be rcappointsd IT. tho time. The
governor IS rumurcl Ia nave told Judge
W!ieS that he wuu,d nos accept MS
resignation then. and ihdt he would rot
,-apno!at judge Rider. but that he
wanted then: both I" remain on The com
mission As they were familiar with Sef-
,ral matters awaiting action by the COM
mission, pre- baby having n mind the
appl!ca.cn ot the Ua!;si Fucl Gas Com
rary for a wholly unreasonable increase
OF rates Cor dunleStl" Eas. Anyway oota
commissioners we're retained or the
commission.
On another rcas.u2 :: g said tNat
judge Rider wished - rrs!gH. but that
Judge w;lcs strongly opposed It. II
mis- report is ;rue. and = was = matt"
az no little commcut n Charleston 4;
the time (: will prove Of interest under
the lNht OF recent criticism and aisegn-
lions directed AT tn" Pubic Service
Commissioner through these columns
relative 20 increases IN rates allowed
certain gas companies in the state.
Understood" to Have Refused
Governor Morgan - understood. bur
oalv understood. mind you. 10 have at
tempted to nil the vacancy on the com
mission. now held by Judge Rider. on
several occasions, and is also understood
10 have offered che appointment 10
half dozen lawyers prominent In the
Republican party all OF whom II ~
Also understood turned IL down co'diy."
Whether there is any truth IN these
UNDERSTANDINGS i = very hard 20 say.
but n $4,000 state job = not turned
down coldly" Otter hy 4 lawyer. be he
prominent o. not. Il such wcr" the
case the governor Wi ind himself NJ
against \ doub,y ha"d proposition. now
that no has ShowH rs Intention 20 &C..
rcpt judge Wt,cS' resignation and APP
point Two new members 20 the comrnis-
sion. I. IS SAID that nc Will b" given
valuable asSsstaac" n making these
appointments ., Ni-E:' Highland. OF
Clarksburg, nst;oTa, EepUo.!can com
mitteeman.
Whom the covCrn"H WI name. and
from whence they w come. arc mat
tcrs o. no li,lo conlcctur". buc L seems
"a lie q vel formed opinion over the
state that any new members Of the
Public Service Com mission should Se
re0 untaintcd with any markings o.
corporation influence and ~ an !'n3cach-
ebie integrity. Such men can be Sc
cured .or sS.no0 q YEAR. and Governor
Morgan. r. he looks. IAN find them.