Research

Scope and Content Note

The "Thompson Committee," as it was known in honor of chairman Senator George F. Thompson, collected correspondence, questionnaires, audits, testimonies, and other background material to create a working file for its investigation and final report.

Subseries 1: Correspondence. Correspondence includes letters of complaint against the Public Service Commission, acknowledgements to such letters, and letters offering evidence against the Commission. Among the cocrrespondence are bills charged to the Committee for expenses incurred during the investigation.

Subseries 2: Questionnaires. Questionnaires sent out to city, town, or village clerks ask the following questions: whether the municipality had ever been party to a proceeding of any kind before the Public Service Commission; whether the municipality had ever been interested in any proceeding before the Commission upon complaint of a citizen or corporation; if any proceedings had been undertaken, was the municipality required to employ counsel; whether the municipality was put to any other expense by such proceedings; whether the municipality had any information as to private citizens' complaints before the Commission, the disposal of which might have affected the convenience of the people or a considerable portion of the people in the municipality; whether the Commission had made orders in reference to one or more public service corporations in the community which had affected the patrons or the municipality; and whether the municipality could provide further information regarding the administration of the Public Service Laws which might be of value to the Committee or which might be of value in re-shaping the law.

Subseries 3: Audits. Audits include statements of income and profit and loss, cancelled dividend checks, and final audit reports for companies under the supervision of the Public Service Commission.

Subseries 4: Proceedings and Testimony. Proceedings and testimony were compiled from examinations of witnesses during the Committee's investigation.

Subseries 5: Final reports. Final reports of both the first and second joint Legislative Committees review charges against the Public Service Commission, provide testimony, and offer recommendations for changes in the Public Service Law.

Subseries 6: Bills. Bills incurred by the Committee during its investigation include expenses for restaurants, hotels, news bureau services, detective reports, stenographers, printers, and typewriter rentals.

Subseries 7: Background material. Background material used by the Committee to compile its final report consists of: lists of open correspondence complaints and cases, testimonies, examination reports, photographs, newspaper clippings, index of documents, memorandums, subway chronology, case files, blueprints, maps, legislative acts, draft bills, specifications of changes, and recommendations for Legislature in relation to regulation of public utilities.