Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-28
9~f RAILROAD COMM1TTEEHEARING
Attorneys for Electric and Steam
 Roads Have a Tilt.

Roads Have Tilt
 There was a fierce eruption yester- day afternoon of what has been the | sleeping volcano of the session. It was at the railroad committees hear ing. Allan w. Paige, attorney for the l Connecticut Railway and Lighting company, offered to the committee the following resolution as q substitute for the petition of the traction com pany: | Resolved by this assembly: That the | time within which street railway may be built and constructed by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company, successor to the Bridgeport Traction company, over, upon and through any street or highway where ! on the right so to ,do has heretofore been granted by the general assembly to the Bridgeport Traction company, | is hereby extended to and until July l, 19O-.
 Together with this resolution MT Paige offered five others, identical in character, but applying to the Milford Street Railway company, the West port and Saugatuck Strnn+ Railway company, the Shelton Street Railway company and the Stamford Street Railway company.
 l b. S-l the steam railway interests, at once protested against the receotinn of the resolutions by the committee. He | said that they opened up an entirely different field from that of the petition from the Bridgeport Traction company and that the attempt to get them be- fore the assembly at this late date should not be countenanccd by. the | committee. It was virtually q new corporation which had appeared. The resolutions substituted the name of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company for the names of the local companies Mr Robbins maintained that this was absolutely unlawful, that it was scheme to get legislative val idation of certain acts of the COnnec- ticut company in trying to become the successor of these corporations Mat ters relative to the issue of stocks and bonds to an enormous amount were very interesting in this connection If these resolutions passed the new con cprn could issue stocks and bonds to any amount, whereas under the law at present this issue is limited to one-half the cost of construction. It plainly was the purpose to try to get the leglSla- turc to allow this railway and electric cOrporation to do things which no one would dream of allowing steam or any other roads to do If these petitions were granted. the electric company would have all power in it's own hands.
 The passage of these resolutions would give formal recognition of the electric company as the successor 10 the trolley companies Mir Robbins continued. and that was what the pc titioners Were after. since without it i 1nu1I StOnS arise
 MT Paige insisted that the new con- pany was the lawful successor to the other companies.
 The point of MT Robbns's conten- tion in reply was this: The Connecti- cut Railway and Electric company sought to be recognized by the legisla- ture as the successor of the local troll ley companies and thus it would get the right to issue bonds and stock with out limit. No court would now allow such a thing, but of course if legisla- tive sanction could be obtained that would settle it. No corporations whatever had any such power as was here asked for. If the company could succeed in it's scheme with the Fair field county roads it would trv it with all it's other roads throughout the state.
 George E. Terry of Wa+a"hury. speaking for the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company, thought MT
 Robbins had been charged with a speech for some days and finally had to let it out. It was pettifogging. At the time the resolutions were adver-
 tised, they did read with the names
 of the local trolley companies and the name of the Connecticut company had
 been substituted because that was now the company doing business, hay ing become the successor to- the other corporations.
 In reply AIr Robbins said: ''I want
 to say that Mir Terry has used lan- guage which l shall not reciprocnte ! when he calls me pettifogger. What , he says to this committee he would 7 not say to the supreme court of the
 United States. That may mean the t same thing, but it is at least couched in polite language. MT Robbins inquired how the cleo , tric company had become yhe success l sor.
 l By the only way,' replied Mir Ter . ry-"by deed.'
 ''As lawyer. do you not know that 5 you cannot become the successor in :. that way:" asked Mir Robbins. |, 'No." said MT Terry, q do not'' < tWell, 1 do then,'' said Mir Robbins ''It was perfectly legitimate trans
 
 : q study of electric roads since 1886
 pretty much to the exclusion of every l thing else. and 1 know these papers i were drawn legally. The Bridgeport Traction company could not come here ) now asking for privilege to lay new 2 tracks, etc. for it does not exist; this !. committee would not consider pcti ton from q non-existent company tf ! be in good faith. Our company now | T fs- t1rNv ,,.ty
 ileges which it would have been natur , al if the old companies had asked for > There was considerable further spar , ring along this line between the parties o interested. l -
 : ST JOHN DEFENDS CARRIE.