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Show LETTERS TO THE EDITOR There is no need or justification for increased bus rates at this time, if our Public Service Commission Com-mission will exercise their power to regulate the big holding company, com-pany, the National City Lines at Chicago, and force them to refund re-fund to their local bus subsidiary here the excessive dividends extracted ex-tracted from surplus earnings of the local firm since 1946. It is this raiding by the holding company com-pany that has left the local firm short of funds for reserves and operations. The record shows that the excess dividends amounting am-ounting some years to as much as 40 and 50 per cent, would be far more ilian ample to supply present requirements and offset the need for a raise in rates which the PSC now. seems de- 000.000 per year. With such plundering is it any wonder that the local Salt Lake City Lines reserve and operating funds are being depleted; and further, is it any wonder that the National City Lines at Chi- cago last year, are reported by 5 a New York news dispatch to have made over $4,500,000 net profit on a gross operating cost ' of $12,000,000, or a handsome 33 ' per cent profit and more. All this ' information has been laid wide open before our PSC and still no ; action by them. They sit passive- ly by and are willing to put all ! students, children, old people, I " and all Salt Lake bus riders in I the wringer again for higher bus rates in order to get more profits 1 like the above for the big holding hold-ing company at Chicago. After the PSC has secured a refund from the National City Lines is the time to consider if further funds are needed and if bus rates should be raised. The whole issue and answer to the existing bus problem is a matter of enforced regulation by our PSC. Either our Utah Public Service Commission should be forced to regulate this matter for the people or the governor appoint ap-point a Commission that will do so. Or will it be left to the people peo-ple to decide. This is the burning burn-ing issue. By Lorenzo E. Elggren, President Presi-dent Consumers Welfare League of Utah and former State Senator terminea to grant. Repeated demands have been made on our PSC to force the holding Company at Chicago to return all the excess dividends over the reasonable 6 per cent they are entitled to, but our PSC has completely ignored these demands. Had our PSC been on their toes guarding the public, the big holding company at Chicago Chi-cago would never have been allowed al-lowed to raid the local funds here, but this plundering was allowed to go on year after year for twelve years since 1946 and the PSC did nothing whatsoever about it. It was finally left to the public to uncover and expose ! these excess profits taken, coming com-ing to a total of approximately $1,600,000. In addition to this tolerated abuse our PSC has also allowed the National City Lines to draw a service fee from the local firm each year amounting some years to as high as $90,- |