Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-06-09
Members of Legislature Allowed Chance to
Ask Questions and to Express Views
THE MOST INTERESTING HEARING YET
Peasant Railroad Commissioners Criticised by Several
Speakers but None Could Cite Any Wrongful Act
Senator Peck Believed the Commission would Save
Much Friction-New Grounds for Opposing the Bill.

, brought before the committee. lie sald
that he represented a number of stock
holders in various corporations VINO
were opposed He asked a number of
questions and then started to answer
them. He thought that the agitation
In favor of a commission was largely
due to the interest and respect felt in
Connecticut for Governor Hughes of
New York. He thought that. the rea-
son the people believe they are being
exploited by the corporations In due
to the fact that the corporations are
highly organized and the people are
disorganized. This. he thought, re-
fiected great credit on the corporations.
He did not actually state whether or
not the corporations are exploiting tne
people He thought that the railroad
commission had not solved the prob
lem with regard to railroads and made
a number of Institutions against the
commissioners, He said that in point
of morality the house and the senate
were about the same. 81 do not believe
that the house Is q paragon of virtue
or that the senate such sons Of guns
of wiekedness." He thought that there
would be no guarantee that the COM
mittee would have the high quality Of
men that it should and stated that this
is the first in a movement to do away
with town government and later am
plified this to include the general as
sembly as well.
One or Two Kisses Heard.
Senator Peck asked him If he had
found any good in the present draft of
the public utilities bill and he admit
ted that he did not find great deal
The senator then remarked that he
had been paid not to hnd any good in
it, A number of those present asked
IL 4a,+o fcl 1,ses
marks from time to time and when he
spoke of the appointment of COM
mission as being pure socialism of the
Karl Marx kind there were one or two
hisses and someone remarked that the
state needed little of that kind He
said that the public utilities bill is
nothing more nor less than garden.
for the people raising political plums.
He again criticized the railroad COM
missioners and when asked If he knew
of any unfair decisions made by them
did not succeed in naming one and
admitted that he could not say much
against the commission.
Panacea Proposed.
He then proposed the remedy to
which he had alluded throughout his
speech as a panacea which would cure
all the ills against which the public is
complaining. This was nothing more
or less than creation Of a. new organ
In public life. namely, branch of the
government which will do nothing ex-
cept look after the affairs of business
pertaining to the national, state and
local governments ana entirely sepa-
rate from the Judicial and executive
branches. He did not tell how this
could be accomplished. He alluded to
the mass Of detail which would devolve
upon public utilities commission and
said that no three mon in the world
could ever do the stunts or accomplish
the task which was demanded of them
in the bill. He alluded, along this line,
to a clause in the bill which provides
that the servants of public service cor
porations should wear badges. Repre-
sentative johnson OF Newton thought
this a good thing end believed that he
would favor an amendment so as to
make all the corporation lawyers wear
badges when acting as members of the
third house"
Time Extended to June %.
In the house today Mr.. Scott of Ply
mouth offered q resolution extending
the time in which the special commit
tee on public utilities may report to
June ~. The resolution was adopted.