The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-11-16
NOT TO TEST
new STATUTE
N. III. ROADS OFFICIAL STATE.
MENT OF IT'S INTENTION RE-
CARDING PUBLIC UTILI-
TIES ACT.
TO GIVE troll EY RECORD
VIII Comply With Orders in Man.
chester Fare Case, and Sees No
Reason for Raising Any Issue
of ConstitutiOnality.

Reports that the very foundations
on which the new Public Utilities
Commission rests were to be tested as
mission and it's powers under the law
which created it at the last session
of the State Legislature in appeal to
the courts Of the State as a result of
its first important order affecting the
railroads of the State were evidently
we'll set at rest yesterday afternoon,
when an official statement was issued
from the press Office of the New Ha-
ven road, declaring that the Connecti-
cut Company intended to comply with
the order Of the commission In the
Manchester fare case.
The commission this week in taking
up the dispute about the fares on the
Hartford Manchester trolley line, or
dered the Connecticut Company to
present certain records from it's books
before the commission for the pur-
pose of allowing it to go over it's
accounts as a part of the investigation
which it is making in the matter. It
was at once suggested that the COM
pany, rather than produce it's records,
might take the case to the courts to
determine whether or not the act
creating the commission was constitu-
tional or not and if so whether the
tional
The quietus to the report came as
result Of the following inquiry,
which the Journal-Courier made to
the company through it's press bu-
reau:
Whether the road has formally de-
cided to test the constitutionality of
the Utilities act and whether the Con-
necticut Company will comply with
the request of the commission in the
Manchester fare cases to produce the
particular records desired from its
books"
To which the following official state
ment was made by the road yesterday
afternoon:
1.-THE Connecticut Company expects
to comply with the orders of the COM
mission In the Manchester fare case;
therefore, there is no reason for rails
ing any Issue regarding the constitu-
tionality of the Utilities law"
The decision is an important one,
inasmueh as it was claimed, and very
strenuously, in opposition to the crea-
ton of the new commission at the
time the matter was being fought in
the General Assembly that the law
was not constitutional and that the
first time an important order was is
sued the constitutiona1ity Of the act
would be tested and the commission
found wanting. d
The acceptance Of the orders Of the
commission in this important case by
the trolley company is regarded by
many as a strong indication that the
constitutionality Of the commission
has been accepted and that this great
stumbling block to it's success has
been removed from its path.
The Manchester fare case concerns
a dispute over the price charged for
transportation over this trolley line, a
demand having been made for re-
duction of the fare on account of a
claim that 1t was too high. The books
of the company were called for by
the comm 'ssion to determine the in
come of the line and the cost Of OPP
Grating it so as to determine the JUS
tice of the claim and to determine
what a fair charge would be and
whether or not the present charge is
a fair charge