Norwich bulletin., 1910-12-29
THE MANAGEMENT OF
 PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS. President MeiIen's Latest Contribution to the Rational Discussion of This
 Most Interesting Problem.
New Haven Dec. 24 1910.


 Messrs. Everett c. Hill, President, Ar thur ;. Barnes, Secretary, COnnec- ticut Editorial Association, New Haven, Conn.,:
 Dear Sirs: In addressing you, I hope it is clearly understood that l am not engaging in any controversy with you. either in your personal or official ca pacity. I am merely endeavoring, in response to the original invitation so cOurteously given by you as the repre- sentatives of a respected editorial as- SOciatiOn, to let such readers of your newspa pers as are interested have my opinions, for whatever they may be worth.
 have said in such previous letters as l have had time to write that in my judgment all who serve the public in any way, whether they are corpora tions or individuals, whether they are engaged in railroad manufacturing, mercantile or any other business, may rightfully be held by the state to the l honest performance of the service due from them to the public, at reasonable rates. I wish now to point out that l do not mean by this that the state may properly appoint commissions to man age these peoples business for them. The highest court of the state of New York has recently pointed out that so long as a railroad is held in private ownership it's owners cannot be con- additionally diVeSted of the right to manage their own property. In my opinion. the state can properly inter fere with the management of any prop erty by it's owners. only so far as is necessary to secure the public against the failure of these owners to perform their duties.
 Moreover. do not regard it as prac- ticable for the state to secure a politi- cal board or administrative cOmmis- sion which would be competent to man. age the business of the so-caIled public service corporations. The details Of the railroad business are so various and of such vast complexity that we are compelled to have highly paid spe- cialists at the head of different depart ments of the service, who do not necessarily know anything about the problems which occupy the attention of the heads of other departments For operating man on the railroads of this country have, as a rule no familiarity with the complicated conditions which control the fixing of railroad rates by the traffic officials. It is practically impossible that a merchant or manu- facturer however experienced in his own line of business, or however able, should be qualified as an all around railroad expert. I do not think that the state could obtain as members of a commission (even if it were willing to pay the market price of their ser
 
 dents of great railroads, or even heads of railroad departments. And if the state could get such men, they would probably have no expert knowledge about the telegraph or telephone ser vice, or about the production or dis tribution of gas or electricity, or about the problems of water supply.
 On the other hand, the courts of this state are, in many cases, called upon to decide questions as to the reason -h1 T; in these and other eases to analyze and apply the law to very complex cOndi- tiOns. The traditions of their high office secures the judges of our courts against temptations to partialitv to which political boards or administra- tive commissions would be more or less exposed; and their life training especially qualities judges for the de- termination of intricate and difficult issues of fact and law, such as are inevitably involved in controversies concerning the reasonableness of ser vices or of rates. As one of the man agers for the many stockholders who are the real owners of the principal railroads of Connecticut, 1 believe that we are giving the public good service at reasonable rates. If l am wrong in this belief in any particular an i'm partial judicial tribunal, after getting the relevant facts in evidence would quickly so adjUdge. and I admit that we could then be properly eniOined to desist from our neglect of our lawful duties.
 It cannot he too often reiterated that the true interests of the owners of railroads and of the public are identi- cal and not diveroen I believe that such laws as have been recently en- acted in this country. creatine political boards or administrative commissions for the determination of controversies essentially judicial in their nature will, because they are unjust to the railroads. in the long run be also se- verely injurious to the public. I sim cerely think that it is possible for the thoughtful people of Connecticut. as legislative pioneers, to show clearer understanding of actual economic and legal conditions governing the rela- tiOns of railroads and the public than has yet been shown anywhere AS my contribution to the rational discussion of the problem. | repeat my earnest conviction that the administration of even handed justice between railroads and their patrons is absolutely essen tial to the highest permanent welfare of this community that we can best secure the administration of justice by entrusting it to judicial tribunals and that such chara cte3istics of ordinary