State ex rel. Watts Engineering Co. v. Public Service Commission
Supreme Court of Missouri
Appeal from Cole Circuit Court. — Hon. J. 0. Slate, Judge. (1J Neither the Legislature nor a commission with power to regulate and fix rates, can fix rates so low as to deprive a public utility corporation of a reasonable return on the amount of its investment used in the public service.
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Appeal from Cole Circuit Court. — Hon. J. 0. Slate, Judge. (1J Neither the Legislature nor a commission with power to regulate and fix rates, can fix rates so low as to deprive a public utility corporation of a reasonable return on the amount of its investment used in the public service. Upon the conception of the right to take tolls as a species of property belonging to a public utility corporation rest all decisions of all courts, both State and Federal, denying the right of legislature or commissions to restrict such tolls below a reasonable amount. In fixing rates experimentation with the…
1Opinion of the CourtGraves, C. J.
This proceeding was instituted by the city of Columbia, by filing a complaint with the Public Service Commission against the Watts Engineering Company, a manufacturer, distributor and seller of *528gas in said city. The complaint charged that the company’s rates charged for gas to consumers were “excessive, exorbitant and unreasonable,” and asked that the same be reduced “to such amount as the commission shall deem reasonable and just.”
In due time the company filed its answer denying the allegations of the complaint. Thereafter, at the time the cause was set for hearing, each party introduced…
2Cases cited1 opinion
- City of Louisville v. Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1912
3Cited by10 opinions
- State Ex Rel. McKittrick v. Missouri Public Service Commission, Laclede Power & Light Co.Supreme Court of Missouri · 1943
- State Ex Rel. Laclede Gas Co. v. Public Service CommissionMissouri Court of Appeals · 1976
- State Ex Rel. Capital City Water Co. v. Public Service CommissionSupreme Court of Missouri · 1923
- State ex rel. Fee Fee Trunk Sewer, Inc. v. Public Service CommissionMissouri Court of Appeals · 1975
- State Ex Rel. Campbell Iron Co. v. Public Service CommissionSupreme Court of Missouri · 1927
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