The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-02-19
ACTION ON
UTILITIES
TO BE MILD
Moorhead Measure Robbed
of Teeth by Offering
Amendments.
MAIN FEATURES LOST
Majority Favors Minor
Changes in Law.
By Dan NJ. Kidney

Something must be done about
utilities, but not much.
Such is the attitude Of the ma
jority Of Republican Senators and
the result will be probable passage
Of a Moorhead measure with all its
teeth removed. Such a bill will
affect no vital changes in the Spen-
cer-Shively act or on the public serv-
ice commission.
Senator Robert L. Moorhead Repb
Indianapolis, destroyed his own bill
when 1t came to second reading in
the Senate Thursday afternoon. He
introduced amendments striking out
all but the enacting clause. The
amendments kill the immediate ous-
ter Of the present commission and
the provision for electing commits
sioners, which were the main fea-
lures of the bill. The only outstand-
ing provision in the amendments is
one to bring holding companies with
in the commissioner power.
Not Quite Dead
Attempt was made by Senator
James J. Nejdl CRep.l Whiting. ma
jority floor leader. to kill the bill by
indefinite postponement. After an
hour of parliamentary jockeying It
was permitted to live and an cpl
demic of amendments followed.
Moorhead had Ave. Senator Ed
ward O'Rourke. Jr.. Rep1 Ft.
Wayne, had two and Democratic
Senators Carl NJ. Gray. Petersburg,
and ]. Francis Lochard had one.
The Democratic amendment is the
most sweeping. Il would require the
appointment by the Governor. with
Senate approval, Of Ave commission
ers, one from each Supreme Court
district. Three would be OF the ma
jority and two of the minority party.
II the Senate was not in session
when appointments were made the
choice OF the Governor would be AZ.
firned or denied by board of nine
Senators. appointed by the president
Of the Senate. Four would be rni-
rority and five majority members.
Commissioners would be removable
by the Governor for cause or upon
a taxpayers petition filed in Marion
County Circuit Court. Appeal from
the lower to higher courts would be
granted, as in all civil cases.
The amendments are to be made
a matter Of special business at 2
p. m. Tuesday.
When an effort was made by Nedjl
and Lieutenant Governor F. Harold
Van Orn1an to stifie debate on, tha
motion to indefinitely postpone the
Moorhead bill. the Indianapolis Sena-
tor scored his colleagues.
"The utilities have the Republican
party in Indiana by the throat"
Moorhead charged from the Senate
floor, and predicted a Democratic
victory at the next election unless
something is done to remedy the SIT
uation."
O'Rourke came to defense OF the
G. o. P. and declared that Marion
County should clean its own skirts" :"
That the barb was effective. how.
ever, was shown by the prevailing
attitude Of the majority members ex-
pressed by Senator Denver C. Harlan
(Rep), Richmond. who declared that
I'VE will have to decide some sort
OF bill next week"
Other Amendments
Besides the holding company
amendment the Moorhead provisions
are to fix utility valuation exclusive
Of good will, to prohibit issuance Of
watered securities. to provide COM
mission fees on security issues and
to make utilities go through all State
courts on appeals before taking a
matter to the Federal Courts.
The O'Rourke amendments bring
the commission in line with the