The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-30
Under, SUSPICION

a The demand for the abolition of the Public
Service Commission can only be viewed as a cry Of
desperation, for it comes from the people, not the
institutions over which it has power of regulation
H 1t would be a desperate step to take Yet the
demand is made freely and openly that it be taken
The Public Service Commission is the child OF
protest 1t was created to curb the greed of public
service corporations. 1t created to put stop
to the corruption of city councils. 1t was created to
nut an end to bribery of city officials in giving
franchises 1t was created to stop the corruption OIL
elections by the greedy utilities.
e. It has merely demonstrated that no law can IN
itself end any public wrong
Had all the councmen been honest; had the
Electorate always been alert on election DAY; had
mayors always refused. bribes had the political
leaders always scorned the contributions OF those
who wished to prey upon the public there would
have been no public service commission nor any
demand for one.
I It came only when the public had need for
some power to stand between it and greed
It is rather startling, therefore, to read the
demands, such as were made by the warehousemen
lin their convention, group which depends upon the
new means of transportation by trucks and is in
competition with street railways and railroads
9 Read this demand which it makes:
Ns WHEREAS the law creating the Indiana
g Public Service Commission was enacted as
emeasure to insure the citizens of Indiana against
any unfair practices upon the part of public utl-
I6 tiles which were granted monopolies in public
/, service, and
Et WHEREAS the spirit of the Indiana Public
81 Service Commission during period of years
Indicates that this commission has forgotten or
Iktgnored- the purpose for which it was created;
lE THEREFORE,, Be 1t resolved by the In
diana Transfer and Warehousemen'sl Associa-
vention That if it is not possible for the citizens
CT indiana to change the present personnel of the
Indiana Public Service Commission to one which
will serve the public welfare; an appeal be made
to the 1927 General Assembly to repeal the law
which provides for that commission.
s Perhaps this resolution contains the real remedy,
not in the abolition of the commission, but in a
change in the personnel of that commission.
The demand should go to the Governor, and if
he fails to act to the Legislature for nvestiga-
ton.
There chould be and must be scrutiny of the
decisions which it has made; for the public has a
liSnt to know whether certain corporations have
been protected at the expense of Others whether
the public has suffered in the matter of rates;
whetheri it has had too great consideration for the
huge profits of promoters and very little for those
who pay the bills.
+ Especially is this true in the light Of the fact
that the attorney for this city has charged that it
is dominated the result of conspiracy and that
appointments to it dictated because of huge
contributions to the campaign fund of Governor
jackson
ik If the commission is abolished, it would mean
return to the old corruption by retail If it is con-
nued in it's present personnel, there is the constant
fear and protest that the public is unprotected.
III Why not try the suggestion of these truck own
A.- foo bOorJ bafO fho
public is driven to the drastic remedy of wping out
the commission or the more drastic remedy of public
ownership of all public utilities.
For if regulation fails, the one other remedy for
greed and extortion is public ownership There
Seems to be nothing in between.