The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-23
ELECTRIC PROBE MEANS MORE ; TAX REVENUE AND REDUCTION
 OFRATES FOR ALL CONSUMERS
United Illuminating Company Taxed in 1908 About $3OO,O00, But United Electric Company of
 Springfield, $1, 100000
If Contract With Lighting Company Has Been Violated People Wish to Know It-What Officials Made Vio lation Possible - Something About Arc Lamps

The investigation of the United H. >uminating Company should continue until the last power vested in the city is exhausted and if anything then remains dark that should be light let the courts be invoked. The rank and file of the readers of this newspaper do not need reasons. They know 1t intuitfvely that benefit will flow to the city from the probing and that in jury will be done to the city by ceas- ing to probe.
 What are the sinister and secret forces that, standing behind the ser Eants of the people, bring every move ment to better the administration of municipal affairs to naught? Who are they? An honest investigation will tear the veil side? The people will get a glimpse of the figures that move in the shadow. N
 The readers of this newspaper, the thoughtful business men, the intell1- gent workers, need no argument to convince them in this matter. Not for the benefit of these, but for the 1n- struction of mayors, who not being deaf yet refuse to hear, and for the instruction of editors, who being 1gnor- ant of the subject, yet pretend to have knowledge of it, and for the benefit of the members of the com
 
 people to do a certain work, show strong desire to disobey the master, are a few easy facts presented as be- ing adapted to the understanding of Ninced.
 The investigation is demanded for ethical and social reasons.
 The investigation is demanded for business reasons which can be express ed in terms of dollars and cents.
 Tha fire rag lmnOrt~ ant The investigation was ordered upon the cry that, for years, the Unl- ted Illuminating company had not lived up to it's contract with the city? If it had not, in what did it fail? Who was to blame? Why did not the off cers of the city compel it to keep it's contract?
 The Farmer does not now say that the United Illuminating Company has not done what it promised to do. But the accusation is made that it has not If it has not it should be the first. the noisiest to demand full in. Guiry.
 It's good faith before the community is involved Does the United Illumi hating Company fear that the com mittee is biased against it? Does it suspect the tribunal of unfairness? The chairman, of the committee. the able lawyer. MT. Day, is he so consumed with eagerness to condemn the United Illuminating Company? Has he been so ardent in the prosecution that the company doubts that the evidence in its favor will be fairly considered?
 The United Illuminating Company may or may not, demand an investi- gation- The people do demand it. The people are concerned to know whether the contract with the city has been violated.
 They are concerned to know what servant of theirs was negligent or worse. to enable the contract to be vio- lated, if so. indeed. it has been.
 Was there a violation? And if there was, who was to blame? Who slept while the city suffered? Much more important is it, than any mere matter of dollars and cents, that these ques- tions should be answered.
 Government cannot be successfully conducted unless the people can trust their servants. This is the ethical and social side of the question. It cries fcr answer.
 But for purely financial reasons the investigation should be continued. An offer has been made to wipe out the existing contract and to substitute new contract. The company proposes to provide another lamp, at a reduced price.
 But would such an offer be made un- less the company is not now furnish ing lights as cheapIy as it should? Could it not be better made at the end of an investigation than before?
 If the company is willing to make concessions before the city has stuck the probe in at all. what will it be willing to do when the physician has sounded the wound to it's fostering depths.
 Think. if over, Gentlemen of the Committee. MT. Mayor. and uniform ed editors of other newspapers. Who knows that the new lamp is the best for the city.
 How does the committee know that some other type of light might not be T. kk1~- Lf hny-o ic5 frS hn pI,o more recent text books say that "the flaming arc" for instance. gives light from two to three times greater than the ordinary arc light at a small cost
 This newspaper does not now say that it would be wise to use the liam ing arc'' instead of the magnitite lamps. but it does say that the ques- tion should be considered. before a new bargain is driven. It does believe that, if the investigation is pursued, the company will contract both for a better price and for a better lamp.
 The investigation should surely be continued in order to secure conces- sions to private consumers. It is true that the committee has no power to investigate the relations between the company and private consumers. But the relations of the city and the com pany cannot be probed. without also disclosing important information bear ing upon private lighting.
 DoeS the company wish to aVO1d 1n- vestigation because it is making enor nous profits?
 These profits would be disclosed. Such disclosure would put private con- sumers in position to demand re- duced rates. This would be financial benefit to them, and indirectly, to the city.
 Then there is the question of taxa tfon. The investigation would show in detail the investment of the company QT1a a 11 fI1a the property of the company intelli- | gently.
 Let us see.
 Tn Massachusetts they do things | differently in respect to public service | monopolies.s The servants of the peo- | pie in Massachusetts are not so com plaisant to public service corporations | as the servants of the people are in | Bridgeport An electric light company | in Massachusetts is investigated every | year as a matter of course. and the results of that investigation are given