Show i REGULATION BY EY COMMISSION The spread of regulation of ot bu business by administrative e commissions Is ono one o of ot f tho tIm mOl most marked and important politico politico- economic developments In the tho United States In this generation rho Tho policy was wali first applied by a few states slates to railways It has now been adopted as to railways by the nation and most o of ot f the states and has been extended by several states to public utilities of ot many kinds The true theory of ot regulation b by commission com corn mission seems seemA to be this The manage manage- latent of public utilities should be lof loft left t in the hands of or tho the owners or those t that hat the they choose to represent them The r regulating commissions should bo be mad made e s strong trong enough In personnel and statu statu- t tor tory ory power to exercise exorcise corrective authority author author- i ity ty over o tho the managements when the act acts s o of ot f the tho are unreasonable blo e a and nd unjust to the public And such Uch c commissions having ha hee been created 1 they s should hould be bo loft free to perform their r d duties without Interference from the pub l lic ic or any public bod body except the c courts and thon then only when It can n bo ha s shown hown that the commissions have ex cx exceeded ex- ex c their constitutional authority In a manner plainly unreasonable and unjust un un- j just to the concerns over or which their thel- r Jurisdiction j extends The success o of rf f r regulation probably will he be In proportion proper proper- I t lon tion to the consistency fairness and In In- In t with iUt which we wo carf carry out these p principles Tho The doctrine that regulating commissions commis commis- ions s or ot other administrative bodies s should hould be given any arbitrary power pO over p public utilities Is simply the doctrine t that hat the tho property rights of ot tho the owners o of or f public utilities should not be bl given I en t the he same protection as the property r rights of ot other persons It Is a doctrine t that hat seems Inherently wrong and unjust a at t least It Is one that the tho supreme court l bas ies condemned as 08 unconstitutional On the t he other hand the decisions of ot the courts leave JeMo an en ample field for or adminis t r regulating commissions to work i In n and to accomplish all of the time great good which with a it suitable personnel and large lingo powers it is practicable for t thorn horn to accomplish Samuel Samuel O. O Dunn In the February r number of ot the North American Review V. |