The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-26
Request Made of Legislators to Pass Minority Report
 on Utilities. Kill Majority Report
 Is Recommended Every Member of General Assembly Receives Com munication Containing Reasons Why Barnum Report Should Not Pre- vail.

Subjoined is a communication sent to-day to each member of the General Assembly by the State Business Mems Association:
 The State Business Mems Associa- tion hopes that you will earnestly sup port the Public Utilities Bill presented by the minority of the special com mittce; or, if you cannot do so, that you will at least vote against the bill submitted by the majority.
 The Minority Bill substitutes an eff ficient, non-political commission of five for the railroad commission: the Ma jority Bill creates a new, inefficient and political commission, and leaves the railroad commission as it is.
 The Minority Bill provides that the commission may order repairs neces- sary for public safety or safety of em- ,ployes; the Majority Bill gives no such powers to any representative of the people. '.
 The Minority Bill applies to railroads and street railways as well to gas. electric, telephone and water com panies; the Majority Bill omits rail- roads and street railways, although the demand for a. Public Utilities Measure resulted principally from abuses con- nected with street railways.
 The Minority Bill applies to all cor porations alike: the Majority Bill ex- ciudes utilities owned or operated by
 
 wording of the first section of the Majority Bill the lighting plants owned or operated by the Connecticut Com pany, and by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company are excluded from the operation of the act I
 The Minority Bill provides for regu- 1ation of rates by the commission: the Majority Bill gives the commission no power to even Investigate rates, al- though twenty-eight rate bills dealing wi fra r-0i i1rxr,xr +-> the present General Assembly.
 The Minority Bill provides against sky-rocket dnancipa although making tair and liberal provision for com panfes in financial difficulties; the Majority Bill contains a long para graph relating, to finances. but so drafted as to accomplish nothing bene- ficial to the public.
 The Minority Bill gives the commits sion fair and reasonable auditing DOW CTS; the Majority Bill gives only a most restricted auditing power if any,
 The Minority Bill takes no powers from the courts; the Majority Bill pro- vfdes that the commission Gnstead of ages suffered by land owners from the erection of poles on their land
 The Minority Bill is a clear, con- Seryative and effective measure; it has removed all the real objections heard at the public hearings to the measure
 
 sion.
 The Majority Bill is a Monstrosity; it reduces the legal standard of qual- ity for gas from sixteen to fifteen candle power; it makes one rule for telephone poles and another for elec- tric light poles; it expressly provides that under certain conditions corpora tions may issue full paid stocks at price fixed by the corporation; but there is no provision that the same things may not be done under any mortgage bonds may be issued to any amount if the commission consents; but it provides no penalty for such issue if the commission does not con sent; it permits the issue of debenture bonds and coupon notes in unlimited quantity without restriction of any kind; it provides that the corporations shall furnish reasonably proper and adequate service; but it gives the commission no power to compel such service and provides no penalty for a failure to furnish it. In short, the Majority Bill contains no evidence of but seems to have been drafted for the purpose Of creating a useless commits sion, covertly increasing the powers of the corporations, and deceiving the General Assembly and the public into ths, belief that Public Utilities Bill has been granted.
 The enactment of the Minority Bill will be a step forward: the enactment of the Majority Bill will be a. step backward, and @ calamity to the State
 We earnestly solicit your careful and studious examination of these bills, and your assistance both in the debate and