The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-03
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL,
4 GREAT OPPORTUNITY. Y.

4 CHEAT 5OPPURIUAITI '.
 Interest in the behavior of the new ly created public utilities commission is increased first by the common knowledge that 1t was the intention of the General Assembly to do nothing to ease the situation and second by the high personal character of the commis- sion. For the moment everything Is possible in the way of finding a right way to create new powers of super vision, If the commissioners see fit to enter upon 1t voluntarily, but the fact cannot be obscured that the legisla- ture has encountered it with no def- nite instructions and to that extent has made 1t easy for the commission to plead lack of authority if that Is the more agreeable way.
 The bill creating the commission pro- vides for the consideration of the laws of this State relating to public ser vice corporations and for the recom- rnendation to the next General Assem- bly, of the necessary legislation to cor rect such evils and defects as they may find to exist therein, or any legislation on the subject which they may deem advisable for the public interest. Frankly speaking there Is not straw in that act to make first class brick. It is 1abby and Intentionally fiabby. The laws already on the stat ute books of the State require no oth- CT consideration than will aid com mission to blaze new path for the larger control of the corporations. Had the corrupt practices commission been held down to any such limited in- structions when it was appointed tb improve upon the law then in the statute books, its report would have added no such marked improvement in that law as has been recorded A technical interpretation of this act creating a public utilities commission would forbid the consideration of the new public utilities act of the State of New York. It would hold the com- mission down to Connecticut laws, which every careful observer knows are wholly inadequate to deal with a situation provoked by the consolda- tioi, of the transportation interests of the State in the hands of one propri- etor or controlling company. The than to bring discredit upon the State by undertaking to solve a difficult problem in any such fippant spirit It better not meet at all if 1t proposes to be bound by the terms of the creating act. So much for the seriousness of the law itself.
 Nor does the history of this piece of legislation tend to increase public confi- dence in the movement, in spite of the high personal character of the commits sion. It Is now known beyond the shadow of doubt that 1t was the intention of the leaders of the dominant party ir the General Assembly to skip alto. gether legislation looking to the larger and more determined supervision o1 the public service corporations of the State, which can only be construed as a conclusion reached out of considera tion for those corporations. If the cor. porations of the State will be read, ever to submit to this kind of regula- tion they are avowedly not ready now Had Representative Gum of MilforG and Representative Noonan of Vernon kept their fingers out of the affair anc neglected to offer a resolution creating a commission, and had Governor Wood. ruff agreed not to call the legislature into extra session In the fall to ac upon the public utilities matter Con necticut would not have secured tht little that has been reluctantly toss ed to 1t. It was the fear of disastrou! party consequences which finally brough the leaders to their senses and mad it possible to have a commission. St that when one takes the literal inter pretation of the act itself and places by the side of the suggestive unwiIl ingness of the legislative leaders t legislate at all upon the subject, on is forced to the conclusion that wheth CT the corporations of the State are il absolute control of the General Assem ply or not they have nothing to flea from it.
 What the commission should do is however, as clear as daylight eve though at least one of the commission CTS is known to hold views opposed