The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-25
OPPOSITION TO UTILITIES
 BILL LARGELY CONFINED TO INTERESTS AFFECTED
Trolley Manager, Banker, Gas Man, Lawyers
 and Master of State Grange Heard.
Latter Said Grange Had Taken No Action on Matter Hearing Continued to Permit Further Opposition and to Hear Answer of Those Who Favor Measure

Hartford. March 25-The public
 utilities bill spent a long afternoon be-
 fore the judiciary committee yester-
 day and, so numerous were the per
 sons who wanted to get a whack at it,
 that the hearing was not concluded
 but went over to April 1. b As the com
 mittee yesterday implied that it would allow a chance for a reply by those
 who favor the measure the hearing
 may not end then. The attendance yesterday was somewhat smaller than on Tuesday but many members of the House attended as they did on the day before.
 Lewis Sperry had charge of the op- position and called his first speak r Arthur c. Graves of New Haven, who said that the bill is simply the result of a movement in other parts of the country and that there is really no sentiment for 1t here where it never would have been heard of had it not been for the career of Governor Connecticut to warrant it for matters in this state are in very satisfactory shape Legislation must depend upon conditions and conditions in Connecti- commission as the public service cor porations are conservatively capital ized and well managed
 The matter of a commission was never COnS1OeTeO unI1l GIOVGTI1OT Woodruff forced it upon the Legisla- ture in 1907 and no discussion was heard regarding the matter until the temporary commission began to give hearings in 1908. The sentiment for it then was confined to the business mems associations and was artificially created. The men principally interest ed in the subject in the whole state consisted of a New Haven editor and an ex-Senator. Nothing appeared in n1affnrp, af the Renlhlican Darty and the Democratic platform contained only reference to it. the subject until the latter part of the campaign when the Republican candi- the other speakers were not heard for it.
 Mr. Graves said that much of the talk of overcapitalization is loose and i'll informed. In fact the Crly exam ple of it in the state is the Connecti- cut Railway and Lighting Company which has water" to the amount of $1 100, 900 but this is harmless as no charges are not excessive. The Connecticut Company simply leas- ed the lines and did not actually guar antee a dividend on the stock but pays a rental based on the earning capacity of the lines.
 Under the proposed bill MT. Graves said that the public utilities commits sion would have the power to fix the market price of bonds under certain The members of the com mission, not being experts, would be in danger of following their pre-cohceived notions to the detriment of business They would take the man. agement of industries from the hands of board of directors and this action would weaken the whole industrial fla brio of the state.
 Overcapitalization does not harm the public MT. Graves said, but merely the A skilled commission cannot be obtained if shareholders are barred but the weakness of the bill is that it creates a commission which Is