The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-18

 BRADSTREET
 FOR UTILITIES
State Business Mems Asso- citation Sounds More Can
 didates and Officials

CIdGlOu SOuliUS IA4OIC C Odll-
 didates and Officials
 Bank Commissioner Lippitt
 Considers Bill Good and
 Thinks It Will Become Law
 l In the course of their endeavor to secure line on the attitude which prominent politicians who are likely to be candidates for election to State offices during the coming campaign, the State Busness Mems Association 1 committee has secured letters from | several prominent candidates. State Comptroller Thomas D. Bradstreet, who is understood to be a candidate for reelection. has written to the bus | mess men, stating that he heartily l endorses the bill prepared by them. MT. BradStreet was a member of the | commission of investigation appointed by the General Assembly of 1907, which reported a bill containing many of the features to be found in the bill pre- pared by the State Business Mems
  of 1909. His letter is as follows: Replying to your favor of the 1st, l have read and re-read the proposed Dill for the Regulation of Public Ser vice Corporations. and find it comes so near the bill reported to the last General Assembly by the commission appointed for such a purpose, of which had the honor to be one of it's mem bers. that I do not hesitate in saying that I heartily endorse the important principles of your proposed bill. and deStre its success
 Bank Commissioner Costello Lppitt, of Norwich. is also in favor of utilities Legislation, and he considers the Busi- ness Mems bill one that covers about every point. He says on the sub- ject:
 T acknowledge receipt some days ago of your favor of date, July 1, 1910, enclosing copy of bill prepared by your association for presentation to the next General Assembly. the same being an act for the Regulation of Public Service Corporations.
 You state that the association would like to know definitely what my attitude will be towards this matter, if should be elected State Treasurer next fall You also ask. will I SUD- port the bill. and further make re- quest for a definite reply to this ques- tion.
 T am somewhat surprised at this inquiry, as I have not made a com plete study of the questions involved. l have no doubt, however. as to the necessity of some action on the lines Indicated, and I fully believe that a bill for the purpose named will meet with the favor of the Legislature and become a law.
 My personal attitude in the matter will be the same whether am or am not nominated for and elected to the office of State Treasurer. To my inex- per1enced observation the bill appears to be well drawn and to cover almost every point that could have occurred to the mind of even an adept at draw ing legislative acts.
 Few bills are. however, presented to the General Assembly without criti- clSm of some feature or features thereof, and it is I believe an excep- tlonal case where some amendment is not made in the most carefully drawn bills
 T have no doubt that some act for the regulation and supervision of pub llc service corporations will become a law, and so far as I am personally concerned hope that a. good wise bill Will be proposed and will receive suf- flclent favor to pass and be a just and satisfactory statute. Whether experts | will admit your bill to be perfect I am not competent to judge. It seems | to me we'll drawn and very complete
 
 cated, it would be an exceptional in- stance if the committee to whom the l bill was referred should not have be- | for them suggestions of amendment 1 that would be proper to consider, and | perhaps enbody in the final bill to be l passed and become a law"
 The association also communicated With William H. Hall of South Will dngton, who has been mentioned as a | candidate for State Comptroller. He | replied that he was unwilling to com 1 init himself at the present time upon | the matter and he considered the let l ter to bear somewhat of a coercive tone. To place myself in your hands at this time would be compromising my ability to think and act honestly, l cludes.
 MT. Hall was a member of the House of Representatives at the last General Assembly. On the first of | the two test votes taken by the House | on the public utiltes question MT. Hall | lc utilities legislation by voting against the summary rejection of the | bill prepared by the original commits sion. On the second test vote, how ever, MT. Hall allied himself with those opposed to effective regulation i or public service corporations, by voting against the substitution of an efficient for an inefficient bill. His present position, therefore, cannot be any more acucrately ascertained from his action as member of the last General Assembly than it can from his reply to the inquiry of the State Business Mems Association
 Said a member of the publicity committee of the association:
 'Mr. Halls attitude toward the business men is somewhat surprising Our government is representative in form. Public officials are but agents of the people by whom they are elect ed; and the people of the state have a perfect right to know what posi- ton their elected representatives will take toward any measure.
 eff MT. Hall were considering ap- pointing MT. Jones as manager for his factory, he might very properly in quire from MT. Jones what position he would take on important matters which might come before the mana ger for settlement. Just so the peo- pie are entitled to inquire, and to know, MT. Halls attitude toward inn portant public questions before elect ing him to an important public office.
 The business men do not wish MT. Hall to vote for their bill in preference to "a better one that might be presented But they do wish to know what kind of a bill would be a better one in MT. Halls opinion. and whether he would favor a really efficient measure anyway.
 f'The enactment of the act prepared I,xy the Ctat to P1SinaSS Mems aSSOcia-