Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-04-08
CONNECTICUT PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSION.
Receiver of Third Avenue Road in New
York Before Committee on judiciary
at Hartford in Opposition.


w. Whltridge of New York, receiver of
the Third venue railway in New York
city. appeared before the committee
on the judiciary at the capitol in op-
position to the measure which would
create a public utilities commission
such as at present exists in New York.
HI stated that the New York conmis-
sion had spent in a little more than
one year S1,324,000 of the peoples
money and in his opinion had done lit
tie good.
He was asked what sort of experts
the commission hired and he stated
that he had only had contact with one
and he was so entirely incompetent
that he refused to have anything fur
ther to do with him.
The commission is choked with
power" he stated.
Experiences With Public Service Com
mission.
In alluding to the Third Avenue rail-
road he said: 4 thought when ] took
1t over that / was going to get n going
concern, but / fund most Of it gone
already" He told of some of his ex-
periences with the public service com
mission and in one instance received
an order to repair and put in q certain
condition ten cars per day. This he
claimed was a physical impossibility.
as the company did not have track
enough in its repair shops for that
number of cars. The commission had
asked him what he could do and he
told them and promptly an order was
issued for him to do that He th1ugIr
that the commission had such great
powers that they had actually come to
regard their orders as a sort of gen.
esis and that If they ordered more cars
there would be more cars.
THE public service commission has
accomplished no good on any of the
lines of my system, which covers abo'et
three hundred miles Of 9trcet." he said.
81 do not think that the valuati ton Of a
road as shown by the amount Of stock
out bears any relation to the fixing of
rates Of fare charged by it,
Five inexperienced men canno&
control one of the most intricate COM
mercial systems ever known to man
kind, and never will be able to do So"
he said.
81 think that such a measure is
detrimental to mankind. as it crushes
out individualism."
Chronic Attack of Bad Management.
Ralph o. Wells of Hartford asked
Mr. Whitridge what had been respOn-
sibe for the bad financial condition of
the Third Avenue line. Mr.. Whitridge
remarked to, the committee: That's a
large order" He answered the uues-
llOH DIlCHN ny say liiE that ~ AiltA y
and corruption and the fact that such
system of transfers had been built
ND that the fares on the roads in New
York were not really more than sthree
cents in place of the five cents Charged
were the principal causes. | think, in
fact, that the road had been suffering
from a chronic attack of bad manage
ment."
Mr.. Whitrldge thought 1t a good idea
to have the issuance of securities plac-
ed in the hands of a commission. but
explained that It is not the stockhold-
ers who make the howl when stock
fails to pay, but it is the public, which
does not own a share of the stock,
that makes the most noise and is the
most indignant.
Remarks by Charles J. Donahue.
Mr.. Whitridge was followed by
Charles ]. Donahue, president Of the
State Federation Of Labor, who stated
that organized labor throughout the
state is arrayed against the measure, !
as the power of the state shoBld no be |
placed in the hands Of a few men 10
exercise. FIe cited former Judge Taft's |
decision to the effect that the right of |
the stockholder is paramount to tbat |
of the employe in cases where wages /,
are reduced. He said that organized |
labor desires to remain on the same !
footing that it now enjoys with respect /
to the public service corporations.
He showed how the provisions of the |
Sherman antitrust law had harmed /
the hatters of this state and resulted /
IN the property of some having been |
under attachment for two years or
more.
He characterized the statement that |
the commission would be a non-parti-
san one as being a mere dream.
He said that the public service cor
porations are easier to treat with by |
organized labor than are the business
men Of the state.
Opinion of George M. Wallace.
George M. Wallace Of Wallingford /
opposed the measure on the ground |
that the state has already 56 commits
sions of different characters. and thai
to create one more would certainly. not |
be providing a panacea and would not |
accomplish its purpose. He quoted |
Mr.. Wells and Stiles Judson. who faV-
ored the measure, and said that if the
legislature was as corrupt and incom-
petent to handle business as they said
how are you going to get a moral
sewer<to spout spring water" He said
further: Il think 1t is a scheme to
abolish about one-f1fth of the powers
Of the legislature. They cannot abol-
sh the Legislature all at once but think
that they can do so stem By step. and