The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-21
There Are More Bachelors and Wdowe This Legislature Than Us
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION
Hearing on Bill, Giving Greater Power Some
Opposition Expressed,

| Opposition Expressed
Montpelier, Nov 20.-The joint com
mitt,e on railroads gave public
hearing last evening In the senate
chamber and house bills sol, 502 and
COS, relating 10 the board OF railroad
commissioners. Two OF the bills Intro.
duced by Mr. Gibson OF Brattleboro
and Mr. Film Of Springfield, respec.
lively, are IN substance the so called
Ross bill, and the other, introduced
10y Mr. Senler OF Montpelier, related
mainly 10 the appointment OF the com.
mlssloners biennlally, with tho power
OF removal resting with tho governor.
Mr. Senlor OF Montpelier did not
belIevelho railroad commissioners any
better than the judges OF the supreme
court who were elected biennlally.
They should be placed on their good
behavior. II the governor was 20 be
held responsIblefor the administration
OF aiTrirs he should have the power 10
make any changes should Il be for the
best interests OF the state. He was
not opposed TO the other bills but be.
lleyed his suggestion should DO 10.
corporated.
Mr. Gibson OF Braitleboro urged
greater power for the commission. lie
said the commits ion cost the state for
the biennial period $4,000 and were
constrained TO say at the end that II
they were not given greater power they
might as we'll be abolished.
Mr. Finn OF Springfield be lieyed the
commission should have more power
o. be abolished. He said his bill was
a companion bill to the Gibson meas.
ure and comprised the main features
OF the Ross bill.
c. w. Writer'S OF 81 Adams did not
see the necessity of the measures un.
der consideration, and pointed. out
some OF the Inconvenience that the
public and the railroads would be. put
o ln land and water co ltroyersies. He
called attention TO the powers that
now rested 10 the supreme court and
to the satisfactory manner In which
they have been operated. He said the
powers OF the Vermont railroad CON.
mission we're greater than In any New
England state.
Fuller G. Smith OF ST Adams chair.
man OF the board OF railroad commits
sion, believed the commission should
be given po'er to correct some OF the
abuses that have grown up, and a way
TO carry out their orders without un
due delay. He believes every word In
the annual report today as much as
the day he wrote IL. In the matter OF
new stations, owing TO recent decis-
ion, the public now must have Law
suit on its hands to get what 1t wants.
lie called attention 70 the fact the
commission was powerless 10 control
connections at junction points and
the consequential inconvenience to the
public. lie thought reciprocal de
murrage bill giving the commission
authority TO control the ma tier OF cars
for state business would have a salu-
tary effect. He thought the Gibson
bill was better than the present Law,
and even no law was better than the
present law
Former Judge H. II. Powers OF Nor
risville, opposed long tenure lie Office
II was 20 secret that the accounts OF
the railroad commission we're under
investigation. He didn't think and
hoped they wouldn't fnd anything
wrong, but II they did, the most they
could do was to scold. They had no
authority OF removal. He thought the
bills under consideration would not
hurt the railroads any more than the
public. He urged fair and hone st
treatment for the railroads.