The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-01
fspeciaI to the. Farmer.)


 rt,r+ford March 1-President c. 5. Me. of the New Haven road plead ed ,,sfore the Judiciary committee. yes: erday afternoon. for the passage of l,-s commerce court bill. His ar r,,,, .,,ts were heard attentively by the co..- ittee and by all of those pres en-
 A.r. NeIlen spoke as follows:
 rh.. R-u have presented you for Court of Commerce is drawn so the hunlblest citizen who has a grievance against a public service corporallon can present his. case without iaWyee' ! and in his own homely and matter-oI- fact way He is not even obHgea to appear in person, for he can write d Statement of his grievance, or have friend write for him, and it must pc inyestigated and experts can De put mon the case by the judge in charge if the issue in his discretion warrants the expense
 Iii is distinctly provided the rules ohtaining in regular court procedure shall not prevail; that technlcaI ties shall not be availed of to defeat tne accomplishment of reform if such IS found to be needed.
 A case in law is not necessary; the lawyer is made unnecessary;L an 1n- diyiduaI max appear in person with hls friends if he feels diffident about ap- bearing alone, the same as do our eIIl- Dloyes when protesting an injustice or a rule or regulation they reel 10 be unfair.
 In the case of an employe of our company. the grievance committee of his order may appear. for him before the judge as they do before the otf1- cers of the company. Every effort mas been made to eliminate technlcal1tles which the legal fraternity so delight m and wax fat upon. and secure the most expeditions result.
 The reasonableness of rate, rule, or regulation. has many times been held ta be a proper question to be deter mined by the courts. If such are found to be unreasonable there Is ann pie power to enforce any order made by the court If a rate is found to be reasonable the power of the court can be exercised to prevent any higher rate being charged. The court may not fix the rate to be charged, but it may determine whether a rate charged is reasonable, or unreasonable, ana having determined it to be unreason- able it may thereafter become unlaw- ful and the process of the court will issue against such rate the same as against any other unlawful act of the corporation.
 There is no call for commission to consider over disqualification. Because there have been cases of this character Is no reason why those who have done right should be embarrassed in the conduct of their business by any such unnecessary publicity as would defeat important plans for the protection and promotion of the property.
 Whether or not il is entirely in the interests of the public of the State Of Connecticut. there should be arbitrary rules to prevent over capitalization, Is a ,.-><stis-I yod sc:Ounn most care fully 1cclde.
 The trolley is probably the one great means of connecting the country towns with the cities.
 1t is all very well for those of you who have all the facilities you need to say we will have no moro stock watering. no r1ore inducements, that those who have money to invest shall not have the profit that may accrue from building additional trolley lines. connecI-lgs up additional little com munities and furnishing them with the transportation they so much need for further development.
 There are many little places in the State of Connecticut inaccess ble to the tourist and the summer boarder. that the construction of a trolley line .l serve would mean so much. it seems tn me almost q crime that they should h. deprived of the only inducements they can offer to capital to come to their relief.
 You are the people to decide this, hut remember there is another side to the question. and those of you who are well provided " tn all you want should not be too selfish in depriving others of similar facilities which may t- - them of tremendous importance