The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-06
BACK TO THIRD HOUSE
Arguments for Righting of
Wrongs Nearly All Refer
to Past Conditions
Praises Railroad
Service.

an lIIpul tdHt paper on the SUBJECT
of public utilities commission, which
Governor Woodruff and many other
prominent men Of the state arc sup
porting, has fallen into the hands of
ne Juurnal-Courier. The paper Is by
President Charles S. Mellen of the
New York, New Haven and Hartford
'ailroad, and was read Friday evening
before private club of local men.
rhe paper, It is understood created a
lively discussion. Its publication at
his time Is particularly important
.omlng as 1t does on the very day of
;he public utilities hearing in this city
by the state utilities commission,
President Mellen at first refused TO
consent TO the publication Of the pa
f, per because 1t was hurrledly prepared
md not intended to be made public,
eut finally gave 1t when he was in
'ormed that the Journal Courier had
Il In full. The paper. the subject OF
which Is, Does Connecticut Need n
Public Service Commission follows:
The recent agitation in the press
md the appearance of quite a number
of our citizens before the special
committee raised by the last legisla-
lure advocating the establishment of
public service commission on the
lines of those existing In New York.
, 'eads many of us to seriously inquire
What Is happening, what has happen
I'd In our state. that requires strict
.r more careful supervision of varl-
bus public utilities now and hereafter
han has heretofore obtained.
Connected as am with o company
Either owning or otnei
The major portion Of such utilities
within the state, such agitation nat
'rally leads one disposed to carefully
consider his obligations to the public,
! 10 study whether or no he has been
aerelct in his duties and whether the
company for which he stands as tho
responsible head has done or left un-
Zone aught that should bring about a
disposition to hamper, restrict and
otherwise constrain the handling q,
Jhis property as must be the result ot
= placing authority In the hands OF
those not experienced to n degree te
warrant the exercise of such authori.
/ " IN the opinion Of those who owr
'he property, and whose great claim
10 distinction Is ability to command
votes and applause from n majorit,
pat has to have its thinking done foi
~ and whose estimate of the import
Lince of statement IS the vohemenct
With which II ie Ill ~
The type with which It Is displayed n
The public press
When the misstatements of a chew
Ing gum and candy peddler or drum
ner can command the consideration
Of a community and his letters con
tanning such can secure admission {,
: The columns of respectable nowspa
pers, 1t Is evidence Of fertile grount
IN which to SOW the seeds of discon
tent and to cause the thinking portion
Of the people to carefully conslde
what the harvest is likely to be.
We are all so interested in tina
harvest; 1t means something for all o
US, more for some, but somcthin
surely for all. We should conside
carefully whether to follow the lea
Of other states or wait until event
have justified their course rather tha
rush in and perhaps pay an equa
penalty for our haste.
Much is said about watered stocl
but few who talk of 1t know what
means There is no stock Of the com
pany with which | am connected no
Of Its subordinate companies, tha
does not represent more than par pat
Into tho treasury of the same. Th
same may be said of its bonds and d.
bentures.
People grow eloquent bomhardin
The Connecticut Railway and Iightn
company because, under laws of tn
state, large issue Of bonds was mad
at less than par and larger issue {
stock made for little or no considers
lion, but tho legislature authorized I
and with its eyes wide open, and tn
legislature Is a law unto itself and n
commission can be created superior
authority to 1t or can exist without
does substantially what the people
the legislature want done.
If we have q commission with r,1'
pie authority and 1t fails to eXerois
that authority so as to get for III
people what they want, it will la'
until the next legislature and no ior
ger A people is as well governed q
It wants to be and no better, and
It wants trolley lines and can get thei
In M other way, II will authorize 8
much watercd stock as will satisi
hose who have the money with whic
l., build the line and induce them
part with that money in the hope
profit.
have been onligeT in the line (
Continued on second Pagc)