The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-25
UTILITIES BILL
 OF MAJORITY
 AND MINORITY
Text of the Two Measures Re- ported by the Judiciary
 Committee

The Judiciary committee made ma Jority and minority reports on pub- lie utilities legislation to the Senate Tuesday. At the close of the session Senator B. F. Mahan of New Lon- don gave out a statement explaining the majority report as follows:
 majority of the Judiciary conn mittee has reported three bills as sub- stitutes for the six or eight bills be- fore the committee relating to public utilities.
 Regulation of Public Service
 Corporations.
 One bill greatly enlarges the pow CTS of the railroad commissioners, ana another creates a new public service commission for all public service cor porationS except the tranSportatloh companies and requires full reports to such commission by all such cor porations
 These two bills and the volum1nous existing statutes concerning railroads and street railways. taken together will make it possible hereafter to se- cure complete publicity with regard ro the affairs of public service cor porations and to afford full protection of the public interest through sim pie. speedy and inexpensive proce- dure.
 Two Effective Commissions.
 The bills reported by the majority of the committee follow the lines or the bills which were agreed on pefore the directors of the State Business Mems association and by the counsel of the association. who had previously been secretary of the legislative com mission that investigated the subject. They differ from the bill originally submitted by the State Business Men association by providing for new ptlblic service commission without abolishing the railroad commission The statutes of AthiS state regarding railroads and street railways are printed by the railroad commissioners in a pamphlet covering 176 pages. They have been a gradual growth and have been repeatedly interpreted by the courts Ii seemed unwise to make un- necessary changes in these statutes. whose meaning is well settled, ana much better merely to confer upon the railroad commissioners the aooI- ticnal powers necessary for the ends sought to be accomplished. This IS the course which was taken by Mas sachusetts. where there are separate commissioners for different pupnc public service corporations, and the
  spect seems to have been entirely sat isfactory.
 Stock Watering Prohibited.
 A third statute is intended to pre- vent in the future all stock watering and all other abuses that have been complained of in connection with the capitalization of corporations. This act will make 1t criminal onense for any corporation to issue any stock except in good faith at par, 4r to issue bonds or notes except Tn good faith at par, or to issue bonds or notes, except in good faith at the best price obtainable. It will serve not only to prevent the imitation of capitalization of public service cor porations, but also to check frauds upon investors through the issue of inflated securities.
 Railroad Commission.
 The bill to increase the powers of : the, railroad commission reported oy the majority, is as follows:
 State of Connecticut,
 General Assembly
 January Session, A. D., 1911. An Act Increasing the Powers of the
 Railroad Commissioners. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Gen eral Assembly convened:
 Section l. It shall be the duty of
 
 way companies in the transportation of persons and property within the state to afford to the public such proper and adequate service as shall be reasonable and just and reason abiy compensated, and to refrain from extortionate, unjust and unrea- Sonable rates and charges for such transportation. The provisions of this section shall act as an amend ment to all charters of such compan- 11.1 ters and of Apublic statutes relating to the service to be rendered or rates to he charged by such companies are hereby repealed.
 Sec. 2. Upon the complaint of any person alleging a violation by any corporation subject to the provisions of the preceding section of any duty declared or prescribed by said section thief railroad commissioners shall. up- on due notice to all parties in inter est conduct a public inquiry as to the truth of the allegations of such complaint, and if after duly nearing all parties in interest they shall find the allegations of such complaint to be true, they shall recommend in writing to the corporation found to be violating such duty such action as in their opinion is necessary to secure in the future the performance by such corporation of the duty thus violated. If such corporation shall
  such duty the railroad commissioners shall cause an action to be brought and prosecuted in the superior court for the county of Hartford by the attorney-general against the offend ing corporation. to enforce it's fN- ture performance of such duty. and said court shall. if it finds said cor poratiou is violating such duty, make such judgment. order or decree in the premises as shall be proper and adapted to secure the future perfor- nance of such duty by such corpora ton. and may prescribe such penal ties as shall be just and proper for failure on the part of such corpora ton to obey such judgment, order or decree.
 For Two Commissions. The bill for two commissions re- ported by the majority is as follows:
 State of Connencticut
 General Assembly,
 January Session, A. D. 1911. An Act Creating a Public Service
 Commission.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives in Gen. eral Assembly convened:
 Section l. That the governor shall nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate appoint three persons, electors of this state, to con- stitute a commission to be known as the public service commission,'' and to exercise and perform the powers far