The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-12
STEAM VS. ELECTRIC ROADS.
Al NOI'ABLE HEARING BY THE RAIL-
 ROAD COlIlIITTEE.

Action on the Oyster Police BiIl-Many Other Matters of Interest.
 Hartford, April u.-There was an in-
 teresting hearing in the hall of the house of representatives this afternoon
 Sfore the committee on humane insti-
 .tions Representative Newton of New
 Haven chairman) on the bill continued
 from the last general assembly provid-
 ing for a state reformatory. The bill < provides that common drunkards, V tramps and persons convicted of petty
 crimes, upon their conviction, shall be
 sent to such an institution for a. term
 not exceeding three years and they may
 be liberated before the expiration of
 such term in the manner provided in X the bill.
 Rev. MT. McCook conducted the hear M ing and made an earnest plea in behalf
 of the bill, as did Prof. w. H. Brewer
 of New Haven.
 Judge Nathaniel Shipman also spoke
 In favor of the bill. He said he was in flavor of the principle of the bill and 2 shoped to see a reformatory established
 la the future. It was useless to send HtrAmps and drunkards to jail, which wfas not a reformatory institution YNeither was the state prison such an
 nstitution; it was a place of absolute
 discipline. But in the present condition
 bf the state finances it did not seem wise
 to establish a new plant at a considera-
 ble cost. He would like to see a com
 mission provided look into the matter
 or continue it to the next general as-
 sembly
 D. A. Lyman of Willimantic said the
 need of such an institution was very .apparent to every one who had to deal
 with the criminal classes After a per
 son had reached the age of sixteen years
 there was poor chance for reformation
 in the institutions now existing. He be-
 lieved a reformatory could be provided \ for a sum ranging from $25000 to $30,-
 boo,
 4 IA COPY OF A CELEBRATED HYMN, David Pell Secor of Bridgeport pre- sented to Governor Coffin to-day copy . Of the original draft of America" The < copy was made by the author of the 1.hymn. Rev. s. F. Smith, and is to be
 the property of the state.
 SEVERAL COMMITTEE HEARINGS.
 The committee on railroads this
 morning gave a hearing on the bill ehartering the New Haven and Derby electric road. It was favored by Hon. Tsrael A. Kelsey one of the chief pro- Electors of the enterprise. The road will
 run from the terminus of the Congress avenue road in New Haven through TyIer City and Orange Center, and with Hits equipment will cost about $200000
 There was a large gatheing of Representative of steam and electric railroads at the hearing by the committee. The day had been set Nhpart by the committee for a hear ing on various charters of new electric roads or extensions of existing roads to which objection is made that they parallel the steam roads and create a 'competition which is uncalled for be- cause the steam roads already furnish ample facilities for travel.
 Judge Lynde Harrison of New Ha- ven promised the committee last week &hat he would closely investigate these charters so far as they affected the Con- Tso1idated road, and present the facts for their consideration. Several of Sthe roads are in this section. To Hay he presented a carefully prepared 'statement in which he said:
 JUDGE HARRISON'S SPEECH. sNIr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
 Railroad Committee:
 I wish to present some special objec- 'tions to sundry proposed new charters, or amendments to existing charters for electric railroads, that are pending be- fore this committee. They are for the Bridgeport Traction company, the Wa .terbury Traction company, the West l Shore railway, the Connecticut Trac- | 'tion company, the Norwall< Street Rail- | |road company, the Westport and Saul | |gatuck Horse Railroad company, the | Cheshire Traction company, the Mid | |dletown Horse Railroad company, the | 'Westport and Saugatucl1 Railroad com | |pany, the Enfield and Long Meadow I Electric company, and the Windsor | Locks and Suffield company. Vice President Hall and Director Rob- |inson of the Consolidated Railroad com |pany and representatives of one or two | |other railroads have ably and exhaus- Lively discussed the general question of | |parallellsm, and the effect has been l shown in a few places of some of the es- tablished electric parallels
 The gentlemen who represent the electric railroad interests before you do not seem to have met the precise general issues raised by Judge Hall and the other representatives of the steam rail roads, but they have gone into statistics and arguments, most of which do not apply to the direct question before you, which is this:
 Will you recommend the passage of these particular resolutions of incor- poration, as they are presented by their promoters? There should be a negative answer to this question, unless there is clearly a public need that can only be met by subjectfng the public highways to the obstruction and burden of cleo tric tracks, poles, wires and cars.
 Whatever evidence or general argu- ments may be presented to a committee of the superior court upon a complaint that public necessity and convenience require the layout of a certain public highway, the time comes when the com mittee must examine the pertinent evil dence If any, which has been present.