Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-05
HEARING ON LIMITATION
 OF UNCAS POWER co.
Will Not Encroach Upon the Rights of Norwich and of Other Towns Where Companies Exist.
Special to The Bulletin.)

N0DECldl u | liC ADu4ACllAAsJ
 Hartford, May 4.-The substitute bill which Attorney Comstock handed the committee on interpretations this afternoon protects the city of Norwich from encroachment upon what may be considered it's territory in the town of Norwich outside the city limits by the Uncas Power company, which, as stat ed in The Bulletin a few days since, is endeavoring to have it's charter so amended as to give it the right to occupy any territory in New London county not already occupied by com pany which is operating, whether or not there happens to be an unused charter covering the field.
 Attorney BriscOe appeared for the city of Norwich and the substitute resolution, which exempts the entire town of Norwich from the operation of this amendment, had been previ- ously gone over by him and agreed to. Therefore he had nothing to say be- yond acquainting the committee that ne not only appeared for Norwich, but also for several private interests which own water privileges on the Shetucket above the Uncas Power company s pond.
 Gilbert s. Raymond, a member of the board of gas and electric commis- sioners of Norwich, was in attend ance, representing the commission.
 MT. Comstock explained to the com mittee that the company he appeared for had invested some half million dollars in it's power plant and was already producing and selling electri- cal power, but had been bothered by a certain individual, whom. he didn't name, who had bought a small parcel Of land just under the concerns Scot land dam, and refuses to sell except at a very high price. MT. Comstock characterized this as a hold-Jp and said that as New England Yankees the men composing the concern didn't propose to be held up. Wherefore they came to the legislatureSand asked that they be given the rights of eminent domain in this particular case, so that now they can go to the courts and have determined a fair price for this property and pay it and get the prop erty.
 Everything else they have bought and now own, including the pole line by which they transmit power, and it's right of way, with the exception of about half a mile, where they were compelled to go into the highway.
 Another feature of the situation which the resolution is intended to correct concerns the right of the com pany to hold property in the town of Franklin. It has the right to operate there, though not in such a way as to interfere with the operation of the new electric concern which has just been chartered by Representative Redwood of that town, but when the charter was passed in 1905 there were persons interested who succeeded in having put into it a provisionf prohibit ing the concern from holding prop erty in that town. As a matter of fact. it already has bought and owns land in Franklin and a part of it's pond flows over land in that town. So 1t is desired to make this legal.
 Attorney E. T. Canfield of Hartford asked how this general right to go in- to the territory of any company which was not actually operating was going to affect the new Crescent Beach Light & Power Co, which has just been chartered and hasn't had time yet to do anything although it intends to start business this coming summer and was assured by MT. Comstock that his concern has no thought of going into the territory thus acquired. Indeed, he stated. the Uncas Power company has no right to go into the town of East Lyme south of the rail read tracks of the New York. New Haven & Hartford road, and didn't wish to.
 He assured the Hartford attorney that there was no objection to put ting into the charter a clause which would keep the Uncas company out Of the same strip of territory in Wa terford and Old Lyme, also, and it was arranged that this would be done MT. Comstock also assured his brother lawyer that his company did not in the least object to the Crescent Beach company's exercising it's charter rights t0 go into any of these towns north of the tracks and buy water OF elactricitv