The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-10

The Utilities Bill was discussed be
 lore the Bridgeport Business Mems As
 sociation, last night, by States Attor
 ney Stles Judson, IT,, and by forme
 Senator Allan w. Paige. The discus
 and particularfties of the bill, and de veloped into what a number of thos present believed to be an indictmen of Paige as a chief actor in the stool watering orgies which have marked thu
 course. of Connecticut legislation in re
 cent years.
 At any rate, the latter spoke at some
 length, and ably, in defense of thu
 methods by which the Connection become one of the seven wonders o1 the world, as an example of wealth created out of wind and water.
 The sensational incidents of the ev.
 ening were the relation by MT. Judsor of the conditions under which the Pub lie Utilities committee came into ex. istence, as the product of coercive measures used upon Republican lead
 CTS by Governor Woodruff and hi: statement th-.t the defeat of the utili- ties bill, by the Senate, might prop erly cause the voters to rebuke the Re- publican party at the polls.
 Again he told the now frequently told take of the memorable 23 senators who on one day voted for bill Ewing the railroad commissioners power tc inveetigate the actual value of railroad and railway properties in this state, and on the following day promptly marched down the hill they had march ed up.
 T..I1 bn4 ,Ixy a few legislators are venal, it was left Ito be inferred that the senators were Influenced by the items of a "you tickle me and I'll tickle you program" which Hle had pictured as potent in getting results for the public service corpora tions
 Paige sat within two or three rows of Judson, and listened attentively as the latter urged that everything pos sible should be done to secure the pas sage of the utilities bill
 Knowledge of the bill was not much increased, for MT. Judson's remarks were confined to the claim that in the whole it is a good bill. Two senators and two representatives were present, only Senator Holzer being absent, but these either said that they were there to learn, or else that they were off, cially so placed as to make discus Sion of the pending measures exceed ingfy improper.
 MT. Judson brought out the unwrit- ten history of the commission that drafted the bill. He said that the lead CTS of the legislature were not much inclined at the last session of the General Assembly, to draft, or put up- on it's passage a public utilities bill. It was not until Governor woodruff sum- ,aoned them before him, and said that If they did not take action, he would f<~o o1 CpnQrQi Assembly. for the purpose of legis- Hating to regulate public service cor operations alone.
 And then,s as MT. Judson told the story, the leaders were afraid to trust the appointment of the commission to kf1e governor, and named the men who were to compose 1t, the present mem- bers.
 ! Not much, said the speaker was ex- pected of these gentlemen, but they mad risen above the influences and the Limitations that were supposed to sur round them and had drafted really excellent Sill, bill that ought to be passed.
 Then MT. Judson laid significant stress upon the thought that Governor Hilley can be depended upon to ap- point the right men. Indeed, 1t ap- peared, so much emphasis did he give to this proposition, as if he expected
 
 Ito appoint, if he has the opportunity, will atone for any defects in the bill. That there were such defects he ad- fnitted, noting especially the claim that one kind of regulation, and this Wery effective, for gas, water and cleo itTfc light companies, is provided; and that for railroad and railway com- paniss another kind, not so effective, is provided. He thought that it would be better to take the bill with this ap- parent discrimination in it, than to get nothing at all.
 Mir. Judson gave much emphasis to the difficulty under which the legis- He believed that the in- terests of the public would be much better served if the intricate affairs of the public service corporations in their complex relations with the state could be considered by a body of men designed for the purpose, who would have the advantage of cumulative experience.
 MT. Judson did object to the clause of the bill which gives an appeal to the courts from every order of the commission. He thought the right of appeal should be confined to a dissent from the legality of the order He re- lated the struggle that Governor Hughes had with the New York leg lslature to restrict the right of ap- peal in his utilities bill, which became ], law, to the question of legality Mr Paige talked for something like half an hour. His remarks were large V upon two points. He did not agree with MT. Judson that the sessions of he General Assembly are prolonged by the discussion of special bills, or private bills so-called. He suggested that much time was by the period allowed for the introduction 4s of new business, which he believed should be shortened. | The state was small and the members 1f the assembly, having free transpor- Lation, returned to their homes every | l1ght, coming late in the morning ana returning early in the afternoon. lie i believed that if the sittings of the As 'embly could be held as many days ln he week as is the custom in New York and Massachusetts, that this state would make as favorable show ng, Tn point of time occupied, as those states.
 His defense of the financial methods If the Connecticut Railway & Light ng company, was an ingenious state- nent or the usual arguments He told he story or the absorption of a num- 'er or small comIanies at high price, : Is the basis for capitalization which ose Tn few months from SS O0O 0OO0 0 $24,000,O 900. Mr. Paige denied that anvbodv had ufered by the financing of the Con : ecticut Company He alleged That I 10 investors have suffered. and in fact ; hat tue bonds of the PhiladeIrtia or ,