The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-02
Question If a Majority of the Committee Are in Fla vor of Granting Power to Order Repairs and
 Alterations. Complaints of Poor Railroad Service, Poor Electric Light Service, Poor Gas, Trolley or Telephone Ser vice May Be Made.

The final hearing on the Public Uti1- fties Bill is assigned for two p. m- Thursday The subject assigned for this hearing is the management and operation of public service corpora tfons.
 The Public Utilities Bill recommend ed by -the temporary commission pro- vided that the state commission creat- ed by the bill should have power to order such reasonable repairs or al- terations in the construction and equipment Of public service corpora tions as might be reasonably neces- sary for public safety or the safety of their employees Failure to comply with such order was made punishable by fne. This provision would appear to be eminently reasonable. Yet, at the present time, there is no duty on any state official to inspect the meth od ef installing the high power cleo tric wires running through all our streets, and no power in any such per son to require any repairs or altera- lions requisite to public safety ex- cept in q few limited instances in the case of railroads and trolley lines.
 The employees on railroads and tro1- ley lines are engaged in occupations far more dangerous than those of the ordinary factory hand. The state pro- vides for a factory inspector with linn ited power to provide for the safety of factory employees. Why should not a similar general power be given to a state commission to protect railroad employees?
 There seems to be some question whether majority of the Committee are in favor of granting the commis- sion power to order such repairs and alterations whether required for the safety of the public or of employees. It seems to be thought that there is no danger necessitating such power; yet everybody knows that accidents are constantly occurring. many of which are serious and preventable.
 The citizens who are in favor of such a provision should appear at the Capitol at the hearing on Thursday and state their opinion and their req sons, and should particularly call the attention of the Committee to local conditions which tend to endanger public safety.
 The bill recommended by the tempo rary commission also provided that the state commission created by the bill should have power to recommend such changes in the manner of opera tion of public service corporations as might be for the public interest, but gives the commission no power to en- force such recommendations. It may be a question whether power ought not to be given to some state official or commission to compel changes in operation when necessary for public interest. put cerId1nly the provision that such a commission should have power to recommend such changes and should report to the legislature whether or not such recommendations have been complied with, is a req sonab1e provision. and one to which no corporation should object if it is in good faith trying to serve the pub lie.
 The reason the corporations object to such a provision is because they know, as the people know, that the legisla- ture would compel obedience to any reasonable recommendation made by a high-grade commission after full hear ing
 If any citizen in this city feels ag- griered by reason of poor trolley con nections, or poor railroad service, or poor gas, or unsatisfactory electric lights, or poor telephone service, he should appear at the hearing on Thursday in support either of this provision or of some more radical pro- Union to like e6ect