Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-07
LILLEY'S SPEECH
csve Awsy Neat si ibe UlIllllss Commission Report Wbich Is
 10 Be Read 10 Legislature.

the state by the speech of MT Lilley at Meriden last night, in which ne
 gave what appears to be general
 review of the report of the public
 utilities commission. to be presented
 to the next general assembly. In an
 interview MT Lilley said to-day that
 the bill he had reference to was a
 draft of bill, which had been
 drawn up for presentation to sne
 whole commission and is supposed
 to .embody the general ideas of t'te
 members as well as their recom-
 mendation.
 Here is what Congressman Lilley said in his speech at Meriden and which has drawn forth fresh criti- cism on his methods of doing busi- ness.
 As a preface to these remarks let me say at once that favor the estab- lishment of a public service commits sion at the earliest possible moment consistent with proper discussion of so vital question; that hope 1t will have the largest powers con- sistent with justice to all parties af- fected; that the responsibilities of the members will be so direct and plain that they, cannot be.evaded, and that their remuneration will be such that the services of men of the very highest standing will be secured.
 I take it that few persons will dis |pute that corporations that have been given enormously valuable rights by the public in some cases without any payment therefor, are answerable to the public as to the uses that make of those rights. I assume that practical ly everybody will concede that when a corporation has grown into a mo- nopoly with tremendous financial re- source that can be used for good or evil according to the principles that impel it's managers, 1t is not safe that its powers should be capable of ar bitrary use.
 It Is no secret that sometimes these powers are greatly abused. We need only to call to mind the outrageous watering of the securities of the troll ley roads of the state under a former
 management to more than S100,000 a tmile, as result of which the people lof Connecticut are, 1t is estimated to- day paying million and half dol lars a year in excess of a fair return Ion the actual. investment. No argu- ments are needed to sustain the con tention that such things should never again be permitted in this state. They
 never will be If 1t is in my power to pfexentSs -ases 7--s Few persons will deny the abstract justice of the demand that when corporations have grown into monop- olies free from the restraints of com petition, they should not nave the final say as to the kind of service they will render or the prices they will charge. That power is also ca pablo of abuse.
 The success or failure of many
 business enterprises may and actual ly does depend upon whether they re- ceive fair or unfair treatment in the
 matter of transportation. The same
 may be said with regard to the ser vice of gas light or electric light and
 power concerns, and the very life of
 the people may depend upon the man. agement of water companies.
 I mention, these things, not as in- timations against our existing public service companies; for the most part they seem to be managed with due regard to the rights of the public. But I wish to show how deep and vital is the concern of the public in
 this matter, and how just it Is that
 they should be able to know, not
 merely surmise. that their welfare is in good hands, and to be able
 quickly to stop any abuses of power
 which are always possible.
 Now let me repeat what Issaid on
 a former occasion. This fattitude
 does not imply the least hostility to
 our corporations. We can never for get what great part they have played in the development of the
 state. In most cases they have sup
 piled our wants long before we should
 have done it ourselves, if 1t had been
 left to state or municipal enterprises.
 More than to any others we owe o,lr
 greatness to our captains of indus try.