WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK


              PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Commissioners: R. W. PETERSON, chairman; ROBERT A. NIXON; W. F.
    WHITNEY.
Acting Secretary: CALMER BROWY.

Offices: General Office, Utilities Division, Engineering Department,
    and Administration Division, State Capitol; Transportation Di-
    vision, Tenney Building, Madison; Milwaukee Office, Underwriters
    Exchange Building, Milwaukee.
Total personnel, January 1940: 173.
Publications: Biennial Report; reports of commission decisions; ad-
    vance sheet syllabi of decisions; various statistical bulletins; such
    individual decisions as may be of wide-spread interest.
  The Public Service Commission regulates about 1,250 public utili-
ties supplying gas, water, electric, telephone, heating, and toll
bridge service; 23 steam railroad systems, 20 street and interurban
railways and urban bus lines; about 142,000 trucks and busses
operated by common carriers of passengers and freight, contract
carriers of freight, and private carriers of freight; and matters
involving water power and navigation, including operation of 1,200
dams.
   Of the public utilities 874 are privately and 396 municipally owned.
There are 66 private and 87 municipal electric utilities; 23 private
and one municipal gas utilities; 17 private and 305 municipal water
plants; five private and no municipal street railways; five private
and three municipal heating utilities; and 758 private telephone
utilities.
   The commission has three members. The commissioners are ap-
 pointed by the Governor with the consent of the senate and hold
 office for six years each, one term expiring in March of each odd-
 numbered year. The commissioners appoint a secretary, who, like
 them, is a statutory officer.
   The commission has three major divisions. The Administration
 Division includes the departments of procedure and information in
 which are grouped cost accountants, examiners, file clerks, steno-
 graphic reporters, and general clerical and stenographic workers.
 Operating authority of motor carriers, utilities, and hydro plant
 motors is dealt with by the examiners, who also conduct most of
 the public hearings held daily by the commission. In the Utility Di-
 vision the rates and research department analyzes utility rates and
 costs, handles informal rate complaints, makes economic investiga-
 tions, and makes recommendations on rate revisions; while the ac-
 counts and finance department audits the books and records of
 utilities and passes upon utility securities issues. The Transportation
 Division includes the tariffs department, Which regulates transpor-
 tation rates and represents Wisconsin business and industry before
 the Interstate Commerce Commission in interstate rate cases, and
 the statistics department which does statistical research in connec-


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