Evening star., 1928-02-24
Ultimate Fate of Utilities
Inquiry Is Warmly Debated

Views on both sides Of the proposal
10 investigate public utilities under the
resolution OF Senator Walsh OF Mon
tana are expressed vigorously as re-
suit Of the Senate'S decision 10 make
the Federal Trade Commission the in
vestigat.ng body. Some newspapers be-
lieye that better results will be obtained
by this change In method. bur many
others hold that reference 70 the COM
mission has the eject OF killing the
inquiry,
The power lobby wins. The ;nyesti-
CATION 10 which II objected will nos be
made; for there will be no real investi.
CATION by the Federal Trade Commits
sion," Is the declaration OF the Louis
VILE Courier -Journa! tiidepen6enti.
and the Springfield Republican ',:nde-
pendent expresses the opinion The
controlling members OF the Federal
Trade Commission are men entirely out
OF sympathy with the purpose OF Sen
ator Walsh, To intruS; them with such
az inquiry :nsures fiaSco a, the END
o! H."
Referring 10 the provision .ha. the
commission must make n report ~ the
Senate every 50 days" the Santa Bar
bara Daiis News tDenccratic> states:
As the commission is an indepsndea,
Otiit NstatCV w AANs ~ ~ NSlbstQ tic
contro! OF the Senate. The order for
3o-day reports, therefore. IS simply a
polite rcQueS: which soon will os for
gotten To ali intenss and purposes !,
Is probable the proposed Investigation
Is dead .SSs.e for ut least a wear"
The Utica Observer -D!Spa,ch tinSe-
psndcnr feels that III the hands o.
the commission Il; might not b. an i'm
porians affair" ou, that paper Con-
cildes thai q. course in time. !: is
quite probable anothe. unScranbl.ns
crusade will develop. when ynergerS and
chains have entirely storpered sn6e-
pendent effort"
To the New York World tiadsyN,oS-
ean. however, Il appears tha, "she re-
,uclancS ~ the Senate ~ start this In
r&St!gat!on OH rs own account can be
understood. even without taking into
consideration the efforts cf power
lobby. The Senate already has SeSe:a,
inquiries under way" Continues the
World, and bills for Two more were ia
rorahly reported BY ro,Nm.tteeS~-su in-
NeSEigatioa os the cyal strike by the
committee cN interstate commerce and
NJ ths cotton exchanges by tne c,n-
Nistee on agriculture, Fur these TWO
mand As much really canuei b, said
Tor the power Investigation,
The rahlic is coming ~ realize" In
The Judgment ~ the CAs:tS,gN,sa
Times ,ndepgl,sient Nt'mosrastcl, "tAaE
II rarely derives any benefit syx,M the
probing activities cI us Coasrv>SsMeu
and is settuns tired vi them ASA. II Is
more than likely that the yoiss> III de-
Gliding whether he wants to return his
Senator W Representative IL Wa$h,ss~
ton next Fall Will ra>S Judgment GsN>n
HIM as legislator rather than ~ an
investigator The Indianapolis News
,indepeNdenn, SayS Not all utilities
by any means cpN>Sed study y. c<.s,-
dt,cnS eN Senate committee Ger
tasnlS no batting ~ the e,ergric power
snduStry should have eeen encouraged,
hut there WAS no cause !W thinking
plated
St,u the desire II the industry nc,
~ he investigated, and particularly NOT
10 hc Investigated by Mr.. Walsh, VIII
that perhaps IL would ee a s,S,d thing
II some inquiry were made" In the
onsnlrn M the Hartford Tunes tinssss |
pendent tSmteraticl, The ts,,ulNes,s
Ohic State Journal tRepueiiea,N. offers !
the c,,,nnaent THE great nt Interests |
also we're cpsSNsd IN 4 Senate inquiry |
hut the inquiry proved Wholesome |
thing Io the ltoVvtunteat and the e>.an. |
tsy at large II eNps>tns the truth II
playing politics, ht Senstsg Walsh play
politics At cVety eps,u.unt{N,N
Referring te Senator asuee> <ieSertp-
tim ot the Senatcr .rcln Montana a.
u nan eating t,seE" the baltimore sun |
tmderendent i&moeratiet thinks this ,
will not decrease the public e<NsnStsnce
III NV Walsh. HE has not been easns
men ~ the past Adds the sun. "ile