The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-21


 Frank s. Butterworth declares tha
 the opposition to the public utilitie
 bill proceeds entirely from public ser vice corporations, working througl lawyers and lobbyists. He asks tn heads of such corporations if they be ,lieve that their conduct and method
 in opposing the bill square with thei ideas of what good citizens should be and do. Senator Butterworth, taking : the United Illuminating Company a.
 an example to point the need of commission, says that it is incapabl, of giving good service at reasonable rates, that it pays six per cent. caSf dividends in addition to stock divi
 dends, conceals it's earnings, and give: poor and limited service, from ali O. which evils the people at present have
 no recourse.
 Senator Butterworth admits thaa protected but says that the consuming public has been badly treated. The letter follows:
 New Haven, Conn.,, May 20, 1909. Editor Bridgeport Evening Farmer:
 Dear Sir-You have done your utmost to facilitate and quicken a public opin-
 ion in regard to a public utilities com
 mission, and to bring about the crea-
 ton of such a. commission. I hope
 and believe you will continue to do SO
 There is no question as to the public
 demand for it. and the sentiment in
 its favor is not manufactured The pubic has been leaderless and unor-
 ganized, as usual, in seeking what ii deetres, and therein lies the greater need for newspapers to make them- selves active in the public cause.
 The opposition, to the measure has come mainly from public service cor as Is their custom, employing lobby ists and attorneys. To the best of my recollection, not one officer of a pub lio service corporation has stood up at the hearings and openly opposed; condemnation, and all the more in that they have been practiced year after year for both just and unjust ends. Isn't it about time that the heads of public service corporations-men who, as e rule, occupy prominent positions in a community-should cease to be the real heads and employers of the third house? Does such conduct square with being good citizen?
 It Is quite generally acknowledged now that public service commission would exert good influence. both ma terial1y and morally, for the State, but the question is raised that 1t would be . political ee nmission. This objec- ton, in my Judgment, will not hold. The railroad commission has always been a. political commission, and no one expects 1t to be otherwise. For that reason, even a good Governor is likely to appoint men to it for political req sons only: but no Governor would dare, with the public eye focused on him as 1t would be, appoint to a public utili- ties cmmiSSion men inferior to those he appoints as judges, because their duties are largely similar, i. e., to hear a cause with all the evidence on either side, and then give a decision for the common good.
 Further objections have been made -k<7I <I1 >f l. L. I,sI1 which was introduced. Some of these objections are well-foundedy but a bet ter bill could be very quickly prepar- ed There are two good models in ex- committee loses no further time, that committee will be able to report a good bill by June 9th. A few precious days have already been lost. This is un- fortunate, as it is likewise unfortunate that there seem to be some influential members of the Legislature who are even unwilling that this important question should receive fair and full consideration. It might be well for them to bear in mind that even should necessary delays, defeat legislation along these ends at this session, this question cannot thus be downed, but will come up again with renewed force. The reason think so is this: There is need in this State for a public utili- ties commission. We have public ser vice corporations who have absolute onopolies-iron-bound These same mated as they desired, legislation of the State all in their own interests. In fact, the, State thus has neither had the beneficial influence of competition or of a supervision. To say in reply that we have not needed it and that our corporations have been pretty we'll managed is to speak mainly from the Of the stockholder and not from the standpoint of the public The former, indeed, has been well treated. He has gotten his dividends in cash and also in stock for years, but the public, as a rule. has failed to get the benefit of a. progressively managed public service corporation.
 mating Company which serves the first and third largest cities in the State, New Haven and Bridgeport. Among experts in the management of electric public service corporations, the men ion of it's plant and method of opera ion is productive of a broad smile. With it's plant and as conducted, it is incapable of giving good service at 'air and reasonable rates to the popu- ation it has the exclusive privilege of serving For years it has declined to allow any one to examine either it's plants or its books; it hides it's earn ngs; pays per cent. cash dividends n addition to stock dividends, and -ates, and for the public there is at present no recourse The stock of his company sells at about s175 a hare, but financeers of modern cleo ric public service plants would read ly pay $200 a share for it, realizing tow much the business could be in reased by an up-to-date plant and methods of operation Present own rs, however. decline to sell. and for 1ng years ceased to be progressive.
 If an owner of pFoUprty finds as he | oes and has, that he can manufacture l cheaper for himself, he does l o. but if he wants to transnit that | lecfrfcffy to anotll9f bn{1ding across he wax tn which 4e e1po conducts