Financial, operating and other statistics affecting railway companies. Financial, operating and other statistics affecting other public utilities. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. To his Excellency, HON. JAMES O. DAVIDSON, Governor. MADISON, WIS., Dec. 7, 1908. As required by law, we have the honor to submit our Annual Report containing an account of all matters pertaining to this office from June 30, 1907, to July 1, 1908. RAILROAD COMMISSION OF WISCONSIN, BY J. M. WINTERBOTHAM, Secretary. PART I. General Account of the Work of the Commission. When the Railroad Commission of Wisconsin was first organized, its duties were restricted to the regulation of railroads and facilities incidental thereto in their relations to the general public. The nature of the work performed under this law has been set forth at length in the First Biennial and First Annual Reports, heretofore published, and also in Volume I of the Decisions of the Commission. Subsequent amendments have removed all doubt regarding the power of the Commission over electric, urban and interurban, railroads under the law. Since the period covered by the last report, the jurisdiction of the Commission has been greatly enlarged, until it is now charged with the supervision, not only of the railroads, but of other public utilities, including water, gas, electric light, heat, power and telephone companies. In addition, it has jurisdiction over the issues of securities by railway and other public utility corporations, and the power of determining whether public necessity and convenience demand the building of additional lines of railways, or additional water, gas and electric plants in communities where there is in operation a plant of similar character under an indeterminate franchise. It is charged with the duty of prescribing proper and uniform accounting methods and of requiring from all companies under its jurisdiction reports containing operating and financial and other data, including schedules of rates charged for the service rendered. Among its minor duties it has been charged with the enforcement of the law relating to the hours of employment for railway employes; with power over railway terminals; power to require railroads to install telephone service; to compel railroads to furnish connection with spurs running to industries; power to determine the value of public utilities, including street railways, in condemnation proceedings by municipalities under the Public Utilities Law; and under the provisions of sec. 1797-1-12, of the Laws of 1907, to enforce statutory regulations regarding wires and other overhead obstructions crossing railway tracks; and also supervision over the company organized by special act of the legislature for the purpose of the conservation of the water supply of the Wisconsin river, and the regulation of the water powers along that river. These duties necessitated the re-organization of the expert and clerical force, in order promptly to handle the vast volume of business which confronted the Commission. Accordingly, a larger statistical force was engaged and preparations made for assuming the duties charged upon the Commission. There has been great activity in the state of Wisconsin in the fields over which the Commission has jurisdiction. It may be said that there is no hamlet in the state so insignificant that it has not either a water, gas, electric or telephone utility to administer to its wants. As many of these utilities are owned by individuals, great difficulty was experienced in determining their names and locations as a preliminary preparation for the work. This has been accomplished and it is believed that the companies referred to in other parts of this volume include all, or practically all, of the utilities operating in the state of Wisconsin. There are 54 steam railway companies doing business in the state, 25 street and interurban railways, 7 express companies and 2 telegraph companies, in addition to sleeping car and other private car companies; also persons, firms and corporations operating utility plants as follows: making in all 1093 companies under the direct jurisdiction of the Commission. |