Salt Lake Telegram | 1917-02-08 | Page 1 | So the People May Know

SO THE TE PEOPLE MAY KNOW II I ARTICLE A 12 section 15 of the state constitution says The The legislature legislature shall pass laws establishing reasonable maximum rates of charges for the transportation of passengers and freight for the he correcting of abuses and preventing discrimination and extortion in rates of freight and passenger tariffs by different railroads and other common carriers in the state and shall enforce such laws by adequate penalties This section of the constitution making it mandatory upon the legislature to enact a public utilities law has been on the statute books since statehood but every gathering of lawmakers has successfully P passed assed the task on to the next legislature Here is an excerpt from the Democratic platform We f. f to law public pledge our party immediately enact a creating a utilities commission for the state and to confer on it as full power and authority as the state is authorized to confer The present coal investigation has conclusively brought out the dire need of a public utilities law something law something to regulate the railroads If an example were needed the recent coal shortage here is sufficient During every legislative session for the past twenty years the railroad and other powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful lobbyists have successfully prevented the passage of a regulatory law Those same lobbyists are at work right now And The Telegram regrets to say that some of the members of the legislature are weakening It has been thirty-one thirty days since the legislature convened and there has been no definite definite nite action on a public utilities measure The railroads set up the cry of expense upon the people Since when has any public utility worried itself about the people other than to take every cent the traffic will bear I And as usual the owned corporation-owned press of Utah are supporting the railroads THE BIG THINGS THAT OWN UTAH are going to halt legislation on public utilities if they can They ey are employing every means fair or foul to defeat the bill There are two twenty working days left I Will the members of the legislature listen to their wiles and turn traitors to th the theet people L k J. J