reported he will enlist the services of Senator Borah in the matter. It is expected that this among other matters will come up for discussion at a dinner which the Governor will give Monday evening at the Mansion to his cabinet, the members of which have not been officially together for some months. The coming week will see thousands of people in Harrisburg, attending the great farm shows and agricultural conferences, which will be bigger than ever this year, and there will be a great scurrying about on the part of those who are trying to get an angle on public sentiment with respect to political matters likely to come up before the primaries. Meanwhile the Governor is setting out to capture enough legislators to put over his "dry" program and to support other administration measures and will make a series of speeches during the primary campaign. The State Library situation appears to be without change and in this respect it is to be noted that Dr. George P. Donehoo was unanimously elected president of the Penna. State Federation of Historical Societies in annual session here on Thursday. Dr. J. George Becht, State superintendent of public instruction, has restored the system of State inspection of Normal Schools abolished by the Finegan administration. Former Mayor Daniel L. Keister, of Harrisburg, is in charge of the printing branch of the government temporarily following the registration of A. Nevin Detrich, he having been assistant in the office. Secretary Peter G. Cameron has called for a report of the building and loan associations doing business in Pa., as of December 31, 1923. DATES OF MEETINGS Public Service, executive session, Compensation Board, Water and Power Board, State Council of Education, . January 28 and 29 . January 29 January 30 if necessary .February 4 Public Service Commission ACTION ANNOUNCED Refused-A7473-1922; A9608 A9731; A9758; A9625. Dismissed-C4691-2; C3613. Approved-MC2438-39-43-35, A9618; A9742; MC2440-1-2; A9752; A9753; A9711-12-13-14-15-16-17; A9629-30-31-32-33; A9732 and A9755 (with conditions) A9611, (subject to stipulation) A9730; A9740; A9627; A9391; A9704; A9622, A8760; A9576; A9581, A9708; A9709, A9718, A9724; A9744; A9843; A9849. APPLICATION OF LAWRENCE C. HARTMAN Auto busses-Competition with rail carriers-No necessity therefor. The Commission refuses to approve an application to operate a motor bus on the Lackawanna Trail when it appeared that the route was already well served by existing rail carriers and another bus company. There being no necessity shown for the inauguration of such service the commission refused to approve the application over the numerous protests on file. APPLICATION DOCKET NO. 7473. BY THE COMMISSION, January 8, 1924: This is an application by Lawrence C. Hartman for a certificate of public convenience authorizing him to engage in the business of common carriage by auto bus over the Lackawanna Trail, a very important State Highway of Pennsylvania, from Scranton to the New York State line en route to Binghamton, New York. The application is protested by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company, the Scranton, Montrose and Binghamton Railroad Company, the Scranton Railway Company and Edward J. Dorey, an auto bus operator. The case proceeded to hearing, at which time considerable testimony was introduced principally on the part of protestants. Oral argument was waived, and the matter involved submitted on briefs. The evidence discloses that all towns between Scranton and Hopbottom (Foster), along the proposed Hartman route, are served by either or both the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company and the Scranton, Montrose and Binghamton Railroad Company, and north of New Milford to the State line by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company and Edward J. Dorey's auto bus. The Scranton, Montrose and Binghamton Railroad Company is an electrically operated system. The Dorey auto bus operates from Montrose via New Milford, Hallstead and Great Bend, continuing into the City of Binghamton. The Scranton Railway Company operates on the same tracks as does the Scranton, Montrose and Binghamton Railroad Company, but its cars stop somewhere near the northern city limits of Scranton. The applicant proposes to start his service, from the Scranton end, at Hotels Casey and Jermyn. The proprietors of these hotels testified that there was no necessity for the service and they opposed the granting of the certificate generally, and specifically objected to the selected starting points at their hotels. The evidence presented by the applicant disclosed that he had given very little study or consideration to the transportation needs, the volume of business he could probably attract, and he has made no estimate of the costs or revenues incident to the service he desired to engage in. While a bus line such as he proposes might convenience a few, the evidence is clear that it would not be supported by any public necessity. Whatever business the applicant might obtain would be at the expense of existing and paralleling carriers. To authorize it would, from a financial standpoint, support but a limping service and cripple the ability of the other carriers in the performance of their public duties. We are of the opinion that the granting of this application would, in final analysis, be of no public benefit, and therfore are unable to find that it would be necessary for the service, accommodation and safety of the public. The application should therefore be refused. BOROUGH OF TOPTON; ET AL., vs. TOPTON ELECTRIC L. & P. COMPANY Electric companies-Rates-Increase-Reasonableness-Street Lighting-Domestic service. Complaints were filed alleging that the new rates of the respondent for street lighting and domestic service were excessive. It was shown that the respondent had a business consisting almost entirely of small consumers and that at the present stage of its development the burden of meeting the maintenance costs must necessarily fall upon them. Excluding all questionable items of operating expense and considering only the minium value indicated by the evidence the commission concluded that the rates attacked were not unreasonable or excessive. COMPLAINT DOCKET Nos. 4691-4692. BY THE COMMISSION, January 8, 1924: The above complaints were heard together and will be disposed of by this report. The Borough of Topton complains of the provision in the respondent's new tariff, effective December 31, 1921, increasing the rates for municipal street lighting, and James L. Trexler, et al., complain of the provision increasing |