The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-03-11
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.

public service organizations which owe
heir existence to public favor. must
nave felt that there is more ginger
back of the popular movement than
perhaps they suspected before. The
hearing held at Hartford Monday
was impressive on account of the va
riety of the business interests repre-
sented and on account of the sober
manner in which the subject |
was treated by all of the speakers.
If there were any present who ex-
pected to hear the corporations bait
ed they went away disappointed. The
advocates of a public utilities commits
sion are not moved by a hatred of
corporations nor by suspicion as to
the personal integrity of corporation
managers. They are simply controlled
in their judgment by what they know
of the common weaknesses of human
nature. They have looked over the
history of the State and have salts
fed themselves. as anybody can who
takes the trouble to do so, and who is
not saturated with the false notion
that the possession of wealth in any
one Of its various forms is guaran-
tee of responsibility, that each and
every one of the wind and water"
scandals to which the State has been
subjected, might have been escaped
had some other body than the gem
eral assembly been charged with care
fully scrutinizing each and every ap-
plicaton for a charter and for char
ter rights Though for the most part
the mischief has been done, 1t is still
the wise determination of these advo-
Gates. that with an impenetrable flu
ture before us 1t is we'll to provide
against repetition of evil,
It was plain. too, that the advocates
of a public utility commission desire
the cheerful and enthusiastic coop
Grafton Of the public service corpor-
atlons In framing a law which shall
be exactly and wholly just to all con-
cerned. There Is not an intelligent
man in the state who does not ap-
preciate the tremendous part these
corporations play in the daily life of
Connecticut. They are not only to be
protected in all Of their rights and
legitimate needs, but they are to be
encouraged in their development
Their welfare rs involved every second
of the discussion but at no second
separated from that of the public
Having been raised to the rank of
private monopoly 1t is contended
that 1t is the part of working wisdom
to make the government of the state,
representing the people, full fellow
director in employing the advantage
of that right of private monopoly. In
stead of there being anything new and
novel in the demand, the principle
back of it is as old as the oldest pub
lie service corporation. If the people
have not the right to protect them
selves against every imaginable evil
| IL, ,o,rn,oto M >, a ro,,apt .lat -. l.
yet to be established. OF course they
have the right and they would like TO
exercise 1t with the cooperation of
the corporations Exercise II any
way they will surely undertake to do.
The question of how such a com
mission should be organized IL an
| important question. Whether now Is
the time to consider it is a matter of
conflicting judgment The choice will
lie between the exercise of the ap-
pointing power by the general assem-
bly,. and the executive appointment.
with and by the consent of the gem
eral assembly. We should look to see
the latter plan adopted as the safer
under all of the circumstances. Con-
necticut has not always presented the
same quality of gubernatorial timber
in office, but it has never yet elected a
man governor who would not feel i'm
pressively the obligation to make the
best selection possible for public ser.
vice commissioners. This will be true
in a larger sense If, as seems likely
governors at no late date will be nom.
mated by the people without the in.
Itervention of nominating conventions
The movement in behalf of a publ,
utilities commission may be said Il
have gained momentum as a result o.
Mondays hearing