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Show Miscellany Is Public Utility Regulation a Success? f An abptra'-t of an address by Edward K. Hall, vlro prFidnl Electrk Bnod & Sh,i re company. Nf'w Yoik. mad" nt the seventh annual rancjuet n tin New long land St rem Rail way club. Boston, Marrh 22. Thlf is rlipp.-d from the Electric Railway Rail-way Jotirnat. March 24. 1917.) ' Regulation has accomplished much, but it is not a success in the broad sense of the word. Rebates and discriminations have been cut out, with excessive and unreasonably high rates, which were relatively rel-atively few in number. Duplication of (facilities has been largely eliminated. Regulation has given the public right of appeal to another tribunal, but regulation of rate3 has in the past been largely downward. Rare regulation upward is a large problem to many commissions. The public expects the companies to be able to take care of themselves. Tiie value and quality of the service greatly exceed the importance of the rate itself. The importance of this branch of regulation (revision of rates upward.) has not been sufficiently appreciated. appre-ciated. Even if rates are 6 or 10 per cent too high it is not a serious matter compared com-pared with maintaining the highest quality qual-ity of servire. No public utihtv can be properly developed by merely putting a fixed sum into it. Rates must be nigh enouch to draw new money into such enterprises. en-terprises. In future, rate revision upward up-ward will occupy the attention of regulatory regula-tory bodies to a far greater extent than in the past. Companies must receive enough revenue o thai they can do their work right. Ninety per cent of the public, of the commissions and the companies . are fair-minded once they know the facts. The three parties need to appreciate appre-ciate still more their common interest to develop mutual confidence. The companies compa-nies should not be afraid of the commission?, commis-sion?, and .the latter should stdnd up and decioe all as-s pur-My on their merits. Companies must inform the public that thev are doing work as t hev should, as well as doing it as well as can be done The surface hasn't yet been s rp.tched in educating the public. Do not trv to 'bluff our" miFtak?. Let the public help the commisFiors to render impartial de- isjons. and let the commissinns" terms of ofrice hf as long and ss secure as those of the judges in trie courts. Prosperous -ompams. living the best servi e. are the, best possible tribute to commission regulation. "''oiiimissinns ar reahzmg their true function as mediators more than before and are coming to appreciate appreci-ate t hat burdens ca n he placed on com panies more e'isi'.y thn they can be laken off, and they ar Jpss disposed dis-posed to add burdens tha n heretofore. hereto-fore. The Masp.-ichuspttH law requiring re-quiring a man of the requisite caliber of a public servi'-e enmm issinner to devote bis entire tini1 to this work is a crime, '"on st met i vp criticisms without undue publicity ar-1 hfdpful to thp companies. I'onmiisions should not make companies suffer for the sins of others or visit con-t con-t damnation upen company, officers for the j wrcncrdoinKf of their predecessors. The pun:' i vp ppriod of rezuin t ion is giving I place to the constructive period, in which I co -operation will be the key to successful success-ful fcupervision. |