The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-03

anything. We never do they say
exclaimed the representative of the
commercial men. He urged upon the
| committee the responsibility of theil
recommending such legislation, on the
+, ground that if some recognize is MOI
taken Of the protest, radicalism will
| supplant present conditions. He clos
| ed by asking the recommendation OF
a law that will be fair and square
| right and just.
from Willimantic, was the next speak
er. With characteristic vigor and
| earnestness, the Willimantic execu-
| tive made a forceful plea for pub
| lie utilities bill. He asked the COM
mittee to recognize in him one who is
! an advocate of the bill of the State
Business Mems Association, which he
said is very similar to the bill before
| the General Assembly two years ago
| and which came very near being en-
acted into law at that time. Con-
tinu;ng he said:
Two years ago the Business men
! were interested in the measure, and
keeping up their interest for the past
two years, they have made the sub
ject a study, part of their work. and
they have aimed to provide a meas
ure that they hope as Mr.. Allen says
is fair to the public and fair to the
public service corporations. Two
years ago substitute measure was
introduced in the interests of the pub
the peoples wishes, might be turned
down. And now the same condition
presents itself in the appearance of
the Court Of Commerce bill, which has
the endorsement of some of the en-
ployes Of the corporations interested.
But read it over, warned Mayor Dunn,
and you will see the handiwork Of the
great corporation lawyer at the head
of the greatest corporation in this
state.
Both parties, continued Mayor Dunn,
are in favor of the measure in some
form. So is the governor, so was the
late Governor Lilley The time has
necticut should have something TO say
in regard to the prices and rates for
gas and electricity and other conlmo-
dities. This court of commerce is
brought in for the sole purpose Of
looking after the railroads. The rail-
road didn't care, he declared, about
the other corporations. Let us wa
ter our Stock they cry. eff we desire
to earn dividends upon the same But
the people, argued the doughty may
or, are rising up to the point where
they are demanding that all public
service corporations be placed in the
hands of the people. They shall know
whether there is necessity for raising
rates by the railroads OR for putting
up the rates for gas and electricity to
exorbitant prices.
The state Business Mems Associa-
ton represent some $4,000 people, a
body of men that you very well know
to be honest, fair and conscientious
in what they do. DO you think,
he asked, that they as business men
are coming here to present a meas
ure that is going to be a detriment to
the people or a detriment to the cor
porations Nor he exclaimed "Then
why not" he argued, "give us the
measure that will be equally fair to
both?"
The state has given to such corpo-
rations their charters without any
charge, heA concluded. If the two
bills, the court of commerce bill and
the Business Mems BILL We're to be
submitted to the people of the state
unanimously. He urged the people
through the state to get in touch with
their representatives in the legisla-
ture and ascertain their position on
the bills, for the people themselves,
said he welded influence upon the
legislators that must compel them to
do the right thing.
Perhaps the most diverting, and at
the same time, instructive speaker Of
the afternoon was w. H. Henry, ex-
dean of the college Of agriculture of
the University of Wisconsin. For 80
years an eminent member of the fac
ulty of that notable institution, the
venerable, yet still youthful sage, has
been relieved of active duty, and is
spending his declining years-for he is
well beyond the three score and sew
enty mark-in travel and agricultural
pursutsi He is now residing upon a
800 acre farm in Wallingford where he is