Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-15
THAT MUCH-TALkED ABOUT
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.
Are We Back Where We Were When
We Started?- d?-What Are the Pros
poets for Passage of Any Public
Utilities BiIi-Record Length Session
of Leuislature.
Especial to The Bulletin.)

| thinks that we are back where we were
! when this public utilities commission
matter was reported to the house Is
| wrong. We are nothing of the kind.
| So far as the Judiciary committee is
! concerned we are a good deal farther
| along the journey-and we are so far
| as the house and senate are concerned.
1t is a great deal palmer just what the
sentiment is in both of those bodies
| than has been the case at any previous
| time. And it will take great deal to
make me think that this session is go
ing to pass any utilities bill at all. 1t
| may; not for moment do 1 mean to
assert that it won't What / do say is
| that / think it won't
There is. however, no intention on
the part of the opponents of the COM
mission to let the matter be killed off
in private. 1t has been suggested that
Speaker Banks would probably appoint
a committee of nine from the house
who were so largely against the bill
that there, would be no chance to do
anything with it. He is very unlikely
to do this. In other words, there will
be no packed committee against the
bill. so far as the house is concerned.
For one thing, ii is altogether likely
that Chandler of Rocky Hill will be on
the committee, and il is by no means
out of the question that he may be the
house chairman.
Chandler has repeatedly asserted that
he could. with very little trouble, get
Up a bill upon which the house could
agree: (Note that I don't say would
agree, and Pm not sure whether he
does or not). And the disposition of
the leaders Is to let him try it. In
other words. Senator Searls' story about
Henry Ward Beecher and the sermon
which took him months to prepare.
but which the young preacher got off
so glibly with an hour or two's prep
aration, about represents the feeling of
leaders in both houses of the Iegisla-
ture.
When the judiciary committee had
finished its hearing and was ready to
discuss the bill and it's report, its mem
bers realized that there hadn't been
any popular uprising in favor of the
measure, to begin with, and in the sec
ond place that the bill reported by the
commission was such q big affair that
it would be out of the question for any
legislative committee to pass upon it
after only few weeks consideration
and be sure that it had reported good
law. Indeed, the committee was al
ready almost of nine minds on the sub
ject, so far as the house members wete
concerned not one of the gentlemen
desiring to see this particular bill re-
ported, and every one having a notion
sired by any other member which it
would have to have made in it before
it could be called a good bill
There is undoubtedly a feeling that
this legislature ought to establish a
commission of some sort, but the quesz
ton is what sort. and it is by no means
certain nine members of the house
could be got to agree on this. If any
body chooses to say that any bill
which could be prepared at this time
would be likely to meet with amend
ment from somebody if any nine mem
berS of the house We're to pass final
judgment upon it, he won't be disputed
by the present writer. There is where
the weakness of the position of the ad-
vocates of a bill-not' this bill, but
some other-comes in. If they were
able to stand together for some one
definite, concrete thing-indeed, if they
are able to get togther now-it will be
very hard thing to defeat it, and
those who do defeat It will have to do
so straight and plainly and without in
dulging in anything but simple opposi-
tion. Nor am l saying that they can't
get together; simply that they haven't.
To begin with, however, any bill
which will pass the house-it hardly ap-
pears yet just what kind of a bill would
pass the senate; there has been no
chance to size this up-will .llave to
leave absolutely out all of the sections
which take away from the legislature
the granting Of special charters. in
fact practically abolish special char !
ters in this state, and give this to a
commission. The house viii never |
never stand for that. But, right here, |
1t may be asserted that this is the |
meat of the bill prepared by the 1907 |
commission over which all the row
comes about. 1t is.sNo qTibbles. It |
is the main feature and the real back |
bone of the bill.
Very well, then the special commit |
tee must provide a new backbone for |
it will be obliged to cut this one out |
Altogether the first thing it does. Yes, |
it must provide a new backbone. In |
other words, it must create a new bill, |
a bill to provide for a regulative and |
supervisory commission, the only kind |
which has a chance. Can this be done |
seen. II will be short three weeks, |
too, for the committee will not be an
nounced till next Tuesday and will /
take some time to organize and get |
ready for its hearings. Then the hear |
ings must be assigned and the public |
must have time to come to them.
1t must be remembered on this point I
that at no time since the discussion |
of this matter began has there been |
anyone to accuse the judiciary COM /
mittee of not having held ample and |
amply advertised hearings or to assert |
that there was anybody in the state /
who would like to come to Hartford
to appear before a committee on this
subject who hadn't been here 1t
wasn't even said that anybody had DIS
covered since the hearings that he
would like to appear now where he
hadn't realized this previously and in
time to appear before they closed,
much less insinuated that any living
soul had been shut out. 1t might be
wondered where the new committee
was going to get it's witnesses to ap-
pear. That remains TO be seen.
Please do not understand that this Is
an effort to make out a case for the
opponents of the commission. Far
from It, II is simply, the jotting down
Of few facts which are as plain as a
pikestaff to US fellows whose business
= is to follow these matters and know
what is going on and haven't been |
thought over very carefully. and pos
sfely not thought Of, some OF them. by
-hese gentlemen who are so strenxeus