The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-28
COMMERCE
 COURT DEAD
Editorial Association Tells Mel Ten it Believes Utilities
 Commission Certain
NEED MEN OF BUSINESS
Asks President if He Would Ex. pect Good Results From Board of Lawyers
 Entirely


 election have rendered a public utili- ties commission virtually a certainty and the court of commerce, suggested by President Mellen as practically laid upon the shelf. the Connecticut Edit orial Association has written another letter to the head of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad on the subject of the proposed commits sion- Taking a sharp crack at law yers as effective to befog issues and to make the worse appear to the bet ter reason, the letter then presents the proposition that 1t takes business men to successfully conduct business affairs and that no such body to reg ulate corporations can ''be worth it's cost to the people unless 1t be given in some degree combination of this executive and Judicial power. subject naturally to the final arbitration of the courts"
 The letter reads:
 'New Haven, Conn, Nov. 26. 1910. MT. Charles S. Mellen. President
 N. r., N. H. & Hartford Railroad
 O.. New Haven, Conn:
 Dear Sir
 ''In the platforms on which they appealed to the people of Connecticut in the recent campaign, both political parties pledged themselves to legisla- ton for public utilities control The outcome of that election leaves those parties much more evenly balanced in legislative power than in recent years. What we have been discussing as possibility seems now. an inn pending certainty. The incoming Leg islature will pass some measure pro- viding for a public utilities commis- sion. It will not take shape, however. in nrininn n nr11o nf the Superior court. Such conception of your court of commerce' as we get from the somewhat indefinite explana- tion in your letter of October 31 does not meet, in Cur belief. the require ments of Connecticut. nor the ap- proval, so far as we observe, of it's people. They have in mind a com mission somewhat on the plan of those in other States. We would respect fully suggest. therefore, the wisdom of returning to that proposition in this discussion
 Moreover, your court of commerce. has more material faults. We are addressing you. and not the legal de- partment of your corporation, and we believe that you as a business man appreciate. even if some of your legal advisers do not. that while lawyers are sometimes most effective to befog issues. and to make the worse appear the better reason, it takes business men to successfully conduct business af- fairs Should you expect. then, to secure satisfactory results in the con- trol of business corporations from a body composed wholly of lawyers? For we do not concede, nor do those who most clearly appreciate the need of public utilities legislation concede that as you wrote in your letter of September 6 tan administrative com mission which shall have broad, dis cretionary powers to prescribe how business which most directly and sub- stantially affect the general public shall be obliged to serve the public and what prices they shall charge, in- wolves confusion of judicial and ad- ministrative functions and is there fore undesirable. No such body can possibly be worth it's cost to the reople unless 1t is given in some degree a combination of the executive and ju- dtcial power. subject. naturally. to the final arbitration of the courts.
 Tn number of ways your letter of October 31 differs in tone from your previous communications. The i1p- qufring Siamese Statesman whom you mention would probably be a graduate Of Yale college, would not be content with your dictum regarding the differ ence between 6 court and a commits sion. Instead. he would with trained mind investigate conditions in neigh boring States. especially New York. where he would find a public service commissioners commission, please ob- serve. not a court, handling these ques- tions with marked ability and satfs- faction to both sides, and made up of both business men and men with legal training.
 Yours sincerely,
 EVERETT G. HILL Pres
 ARTHUR s. BARNES, Sec'y. The Connecticut Editorial Associa-