The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-08-01
Telephone Situation.

flelcDer IN removing the iloH. Nhdo'
d. Watson, his own appointee to the
Craftsmanship of the public service
commission, and In the resignation of
G. H. Rabbit from the commission.
Not even the resignation or removal
of W. X. Warner is needed to pro-
vide a climax, although it is difficult
to understand why Mr.. Warmers re-
moval should not be as much desir-
ed by His Excellency as was that of
Mr.. Watson and Mr.. Rabbit, for Mr.
Warner took the same stand as did
the other members of the commits
sion in regard to the report of the
special counsel on the telephone situa
ton in the state, and was told by
the governor at the same time as
the others that the commission was
not fit to sit in judgment in the mat
ter.
1t is not necessary to go much INFO
detail to picture the background of
the stage on which this exciting
scene of the tragedy now being de-
veloped befure the people was play
ed. That it is a tragedy of official
life no one can doubt, for already
the happenings warrant such a char
acteriZaiion and the end is not yet.
Rapidly sketching the background, it
| may be said that complaints were
received of this telephone service in
some parts of the state. The origi
nal complaint was filed by E. A.
Cook, of Lyndon, with the public SER
vice commissioner The governor
soon after appointed Mr.. Cook and
Warner A. Graham his secretary of
civil and military affairs, as a special
commission to investigate, and these
| men were deputized by the public
service commission to carry on the
investigation. The appointing of the
man who had filed the complaint to
be one of the investigators of that
complaint, in other words, the max
! ing of the complainant into a judge
| and jury. caused some adverse com
ment which was quieted, however
| by the advice to wait for develop
| ments.
The special counsel quickly com
pleted their task quicker than the
| telephone companies of the public
| service commission expected they
would. They did not have the au-
| thority &c subpoena witnesses or ad-
minister the oath, and moreover,
secured evidence which they incor-
| porated in their report at times
| when the telephone companies,
| (Which in this case corresponded to
| the defendant in court cases., were
not present, piece of procedure
that cannot be justified. No sooner
had the report been submitted than
| the New England Telephone Co,
| took issue of fact with it, step that
was soon followed by various indie
| pendent companies.
But before the independent com
panies had complained the public ser
vice commission had agreed with the
| governor TO issue an order based on
the special counsers report. When
| the commissioners heard from the
| independent companies, however
they seemingly were all at sea With
| both parties TO the controversy,
namely. the so-called trust and the in
| dependent companies, taking issue of
fact with the report the commits
| sioners must have been at loss.
| Therefore they decided to withdraw
| their promise to the governor but at
| the same time expressed their will
| ingness to Issue such an order as
would give the telephone companies
a full and impartial hearing. They
wished to hear the evidence before
| they handed down a decision.
In view of the facts now known,
which. owing TO the silence of Cover
nor Fletcher, must be accepted for
the present. this desire to hear evil
dence before giving Judgment, is the
reason why Charles ID. Watson was
removed and why the resignation of
| Mr. Babbitt was requested and ac-
| copied II is intimated in news
story in The Burlington Free Press
today that there are other factors en-
tering into the matter and there is
promise of more developments.
What these other factors are is
| awaited with interest. They should
be forth coming at t1ce. Out of
| justice To MIR. Watson, who has re-
ceived no information from the gov
ernor as TO the cause of his removal
| other than the statement at the gov
errors house in Proctorsville. that
the commission was not fit to sit on
at once give his every reason for his
action. To- people of Vermont have
a trust in Mr.. Watson that has been
evidenced many and many n time and
| they will not be satisfied with any
illusions to some hidden reasons. If
| they have put a false trust in Mr..
Watson they want to be told, but, IL
their trust has been well founded.
they do not wish to see this public
official who has led his party in a
| gubcrnatorial campaign and who is
the recognized leader of the present
house of representatives, blackened
by destinations. This is a matter of
justice that must be insisted upon.
Governor Fletcher should step out in
to the open and that at once.
| II would seem that in his treat
mcnt OF Mr.. Watson, in the light OF
all OF the facts so far known. Govtr-
nor Fletcher has followed the same
course as he urged that the commits
sion Should use in relation TO the
telephone companies. Sents6ce them
first and hold the trial rafterward.
But this is not the Vermont way. II
may be old fashioned not to put the
cart before the horse but II Il U.s.
| Vermont will stand The soft impeach-
ment and insist on an orderly trial
OF persons and corporations una,
fire. Can Governor Fletcher say
that Charles ID. Watson was removed
for any other reason than that he did
not measure his acts to the desire
1 ~ ,hf.F