Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-03-03
REQUIRE UTILITIES
TOPAY FOR LOSING
Bill introduced to Require Utilities
To Pay For Losing Pleas. Manu-
facturers Back Act.

facturers Back Act.
Members of the State Public Ser
vice Commission would be forbidden
to be employed by public utilities
within two years after leaving the
commission, annd public utility cor
porations would be required to pay
the cost of all unjustifed rate inves-
LEGATIONS by the commission, under
the terms of bill introduced in the
House of Delegates at Charleston by
Delegate Norton, of Cabell county.
4ne bill backed by the Huntington
Manufacturers Club, and written by
Delegate Norton was understood 70
aimed chiefly at gas companies in
effort to devise means for discourage
ment on the part of these companies.
A statement of the Manufacturers
Club with reference to the bill set out
that the burden Of cost of unwar-
ranted gas rate demands on the part
of public service corporations partic-
ularly in southern West Virginia.
has been extremely heavy on the tax
payers of that part of the state in
recent years:
The bill makes it unlawful, if it is
passed by the legislature, for public
service corporations to charge the
cost of rate litigation to operating ex-
pense.
Text of Bill
The measure reads as follows:
"a bill to amend sections one and
nine of chapter 1910 Of Barnes West
Virginia Code of one thousand nine
hundred and twenty three by adding
thereto sections one-A and nine-A, re-
lating to deposit or security for costs
and -acssiee before the Public Service
Cor9..9s.ea.
BE It e:.,oeed hy the Legislature
of tic cate of West Virginia.:
Chat sacti5as One and Nine of
Chapter 15-3 Of Ea1nes West Virginia
code of one thousand nine hundred
and twenty three be amended by ad
ding thereto Sections One-A and Nine
"A, to read as follows:
"Sec. la And provided further
that it shall be unlawful for any COM
missioner who ceases to be member
Of the Public Service Commission,
whether by resignation, removal, ex-
riration, or otherwise, to accept any
employment with any public utility
which hes been subject to the regula-
lions of this chapter, or to appear
before the Public Service Commission
provided for in this Act for period
of two years after such commissioner
ceases to be member of the Public
Service Commission.
"Sec. GA. When any person, firm,
or corporation, subject to the provi-
sions of this Act, modifes, changes,
cancels, Or mil at any rate, void any
rate, fare, classification, charge, or
practice, and shall have given notice
as herein provided, it shall become
the duty of the commission to enter
an order suspending the proposed rate
or practice and to forthwith through
its officers, agents, and employees,
make an independent investigation of
the propriety of such rate, fare,
charge, classification, rerulatic3 "A
practice, and as meafs 70 thet end
the Public Service Ccwraiss'o- =
hereby authorized and empowered Ks
require the applicant to meEe 2 cash
deposit or to give a bond with GOOD
security to be, approved by said COM
mission, of a sufficient smcwnt ta4
cover the costs and expense oe ar
independent investigation by TIE cpr,-
mission. And in the event the COM
mission should find adversely upon
the application it is authorized to tax
the costs of such investigation
against such applicant and such costs
are not to be hereafter allowed by the
commission as an operating cost Of
such public utility. And provided,
Further, that nothing herein contained
shall prohibit persons in interest from
becoming protestants to such applica-
tion as now provided by this Act"