The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-28
DISCUSS PUBLIC
 SERVICE EVILS
(Continued from First Page.)

Canadian Pacific. The possibilities ot this party out looking for stocks ac- qulring the New Haven road is very good and should he come into control the people of Connecticut would like some way to oppose him and protect their, rights. The state should consti- ute some large powered body, if pos siBle giving to the parties concerned the right of review by the courts. The supreme court of Connecticut has de- cided that it has not this power of review, Judge Baldwin dissenting.
 ''The alternative to a public service commission is government ownership This seems hardly feasible and we must act in anticipation of the future in order that too great power may not be given the corporations. Their monopolistic rights without restraint must call to our mind the fact that human morals like human intellect have their limitations.
 There are three ways for the choosing of a public service commis- sion. One is by popular vote, one by election of the general assembly and the other by appointment of the gov ernor. Personally I would not trust the general assembly with the ap- pointment, for there, with member ship of $50, the sense of responsibil- ity, should the commission fail, would be too widely divided Nor do l be- lieve in popular election, for the people could not discriminate and sat isfy itself as to the fitness of the can didates for the positions. The man to appoint the members of the com mission is the governor The only question is whether he can rise above the temptation to assist his own party by the use of this power of appoint ment In Connecticut we have elect cd many inferior governors, but since 1 can remember we have not elected a dishonest governor The governors of the past twenty-eight years have all worked to raise the standard of the Connecticut bench until 1t is now in corruptihle and Is a model for others
 The movement for the appointment of a public utilities commission Is a movement for the proper, honest and just investigation into the methods of the corporations. Such being the case what public service corporation can ob- 1 ject to it?"
 Senator Frank s. Butterworth was tho next speaker. He said: No reliei can be given by the legislature In Its l six months session every two years 1 The legislature is not equipped to takt up such questions Last year with al
 the story of the Connecticut Railway & Lighting company. before us we granted nearly every charter asked for The legislature cannot get information about the applicants The only way l' to have a commission which can inves
 tigate and find out about the appli
 cants
 "Objections are made by the corpor ations. First, that 1t would interfere with their business. This Is hardly ar
 objection to be considered by the pub lie. Second, that such commission
 would be political. Under appontmen ny tle EoNfiHpT uo nOl lHlnk till
 would be so. That in New York is not In New York the trouble is that tn commission has to undertake an enor.
 nous work all at once, not that 1t |
 unable to undertake the work"
 Col. Charles w Pickett was the thirt
 speaker He said; The principal neeC for such commission is that the rail
 road systems are so hurdened with wa ter that they have been irrigated to tn limit In Massachusetts the lines hay cost s50,000 a mile. In Connecticut the. have cost $7s,O00 mile. Massachusett
 has been conservative The railroad
 there have been well built and th
 equipment in some parts of Massachu
 setts is better than in some parts O Connecticut From the comparison O the figures if will he seen that at leas
 S2s000 Of every mile is clear water. I amounts up to $0,OOO0 GOO which will res