The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-09


 in the state. for neither of the two interested parties is competent to de- eide the differences. Public Utilities Commissions have worked we'll else where, why not in Connecticut? Co., operation, unity and justice should be the whole aim in view.
 Senator Donovan then asked the expert if it were not true that Con- necticut pays more than any other state in the union for light and pow CT. The engineer replied in the af- firmative.
 '"That is g. most humiliating con- ditiop," exclaimed the Senator from Norwalk. flor this state of Connec- ticut, the fourth state in manufactur- inng in the entire country"
 Then he asked, the engineer if 1t were not true that Norwalk paid a remarkably low rate for its munich pAlly made electricity.
 Mir Winchester replied that the Norwalk rate was the lowest in Con necticut and among the lowest in the world.
 Senator Donovan then asked if it could be possible that someone with a retainer in his pocket could come | amongst the legislators. and suggest ! to them what is best for the state. "Is it so,' he questioned, that we are going to allow the people of i our state to pay tribute to those who supply our commodities ?" We should i, be able to say that we can give our l people better service at a lower cost and with more freedom than any | other state in the union. For this, | he exclaimed, 'is the home of educa- | tion."
 Then he called attention to the conditions among the English people directly across our border. referring l to Toronto. They give better ser vice and lower rates he declared, a
 cent rate for the working people at certain hours. This is 8 libel and a | disgrace upon Connecticut
 The first city we reach as soon as we cross the border derives from it's | public service corporations greater revenue in taxation than the whole | state of Connecticut receives for tax 1 es from its public service corpora
 tions. and in return for the franchises
 given them they give their people a three cent fare when they go to and from their work. It is a shame for the state of Connecticut
 l "Can you wonder" continued the
 Senator, "at people voting the Socialist | ticket when their last platform de- clared that all people should pay their | just share of taxes? That is only just. | But to allow strangers to come in here and supply the commun ty with
 necessities without paying their just I
 Representative Meltzer displayed a
 practical grasp of the situation when l he took President Mellen to task for l declaring that the railroad company
 had conferred benefit upon the State by building "a lroads. 'As we'll say'' ] said the Bridgeport Representative, "that my tailor benefits me by mak- l ing a coat for me-" Then he pointed ! out the mutuality of interests existing 1 between the railroad company and the | people, that must be served. and urg- | ed upon the committee the importance of the recommendation of a Pubic ! Util ties bill. He said there are three l factors to be considered: the general l public who have given rights to cor | porations; the investing public, or ] stockholders in the corporations; and l then the employees.
 It was then that he pointed out the similarity of phraseology of the lit- erature of the railroad employees and i of the railroad offic als. He said that 1 the Public Service commission of New York had considered it part of it's | duties to see that the employees get l fair wages. From the standpoint of 1 the investor as we'll as of the general
 public he argued that it was equally | wrong to say that you will sacrifice
 service for dividends as it is to say | that you will sacrifice dividends for | service He then referred at length | to the work accomplished in other
 states. Speaking of the Chamber of raised a question as to it's constitu- l tionality in certa n phases.
 Tn closing his address he urged that | Section Is of the New York law be
 embodied in the proposed measure | providing that no part of the author 1 ity of the commission should be used
 with regard to the personality of the | fa fYnc ho
 corrupt on of the commission into a :, political machine.
 Master Healy of the State Grange | said he believed. with his associates
 that men could fulfill the duties of
 the proposed commission as we'll as
 5, this in line with the conservative
 attitude of the grange towards effect
 ing saving for the state.
 Former Representative Wallace, who
 was recalled by many interested in the hearing as one of those who had
 opposed the bill presented two years ! the present blll with certain changes l which he outlined, which he said | would place the sovereignty in the
 the hands of the people.
 | Explaining h's position he said that
 two years ago he had appeared for
 stockholders in public service corpora
 tions in the capacity of a lawyer, and in opposition to the bill. In response
 to a question from Rep. Johnson ot
 Newtown he said he did not feel at
 liberty to disclose the names of those
 who had employed him. He is ap-
 bearing as lawyer for private citi- i zens this time in favor of the bill
 with certain changes. which he favor l ed equally two years ago. He said back in the law school, Governor
 Baldwin had told him it was all right
 for a man to appear in court, in the otf nf ot a puhlic hearing in the Legislature. pro- l vided no long stop was made in the lobby. When the laugh had subsided he said he believed the commissioners should be appointed by the people, not by the Governor with the ratification | of the Senate, or even of both ! branches of the Assembly. 'Sh fting | sovereigns is not reform said he
 ''The bill as it now stands doesn't help the people; it simply shifts the
 sovereignty from the railroad to the
 manufacturers; you will have the rail- lio rs.,