The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-23
Mahan's Argument
 For Banks Bill
 In Senate Debate
NewLOndOn Senator Frank. ly AvOWed that Personal lv He Did Not Favor Util- ities Legislation.

Senator Bryan Mahan of New Lon- don in championing the Banks bill | in the Senate yesterday among other things said:
 'I am personally opposed to legis- | lation of this kind, and think it abso- lutely wrong, but the party which I represent voted for such bill, with commissioners elected by the people, and the Republican party also ap-
 proved of such bill. I bow to the apparent will of the majority. | The only objection made to the
 majority bill which I had the honor | to present was that it used the word | order instead of recommend. The | minority bill in the minds of the ma | jority of the judiciary committee was
 unconstitutional As to my being de- serted in my stand for the majority | bill I believed that a majority thought | as I did. But 1 reserved the right to
 amend the majority report if I saw | fit, and naturally they had like li- cense.
 ''The Banks bill will in my opinion settle this vexed question. It is con- | stitutional and that question is not | doubted as is the case with the min- ority measure. The governor is m favor of the minority bill. it is said, 1 but I submit to you, gentlemen, that | he is but human and liable to err. No | human being has yet dared to ques- | tion the cOnstitutionality of the Banks | bill. It may not be as strong as the minority but it is constitutional and | it is within your power today to pass | the Banks bill and give the people some intelligent legislation. If the | Senate repudiates the action of the House DO one can tell what the re- suit may be. "The only difference lies in the pow CT of the commissioners. The Banks bill is strong enough. It lays down the duties of the commissioners and later on provides for the enforceme ent of these laws. The Banks bill makes
 the corporations prove that they are right if they disregard the commits sioners' orders. This bill has what the minority bill has not. It has teeth | in it. I want to ask any Senator in | the room if any officer of a corpora tion would dare to refuse to obey the | order of the court
 | "A great deal has been said about | the lobby. It is not up to me to de- fend the lobby. No man can ever say | that I ever received a dollar for my l vote here. I have the privilege of att | tending any session and listening to ! a discussion of any bill am inter- ested in. The railroads have their | representatives here. the stockholders | of the road their advocates and even | the churches send their representatives | to plead with the legislators for mea- sures in which they are interested. I Hartford is to be congratulated upon many things and particularly upon it's newspapers, all of which, I believe | favor the passage of the Banks | amendment. "I object to that feature in the | minority bill which gives any 100 men | the right to appeal from the decision | of the commissioners. The men ap- l pointed by the governor will be inn l partial in my estimation and need no SIch useless check
 'The question is asked whX the rail-
 roads favor this bill. I am not their ! representative but I do believe that | they are tired of this continuous wrangling and want the question set | tied so they will know where they | stand.
 | SENATOR WOODRUFFS QUESTION
 Senator Woodruff of the Fourteenth | District asked Senator Judson if he
 would be willing to support the re- | moval of the clause providing 100 men | can appeal from the decision of the I commissioners. Senator Judson an- | swered that he was willing to agree to
 detail amendment such as that.
 Senator Woodruff then said that it
 was in his opinion time for arbitration
 and of more moment whether the lead | CT of the Senate or leader of the House | shall have his say. He moved a com
 mittee on conference to arbitrate, but | the chalr ruled the motion out or or | der at this time.
 | SENATOR TENN HEARD.
 Senator F'enn, in answer to Senator l Mahan, read a communication from the State Business Mems Association in the form of resolution which said
 that the latter believed that the Senate
 should adhere to it's former faction and | reject the Banks amendment.
 Continuing, he said 9S per cent. of 1 the members of the association were | in favor of the minority. bill and he requested its being printed in the journal.