St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-08-06
AT ALL DEALERS

ernor Fletcher was dissatisfied with
any more thorough investigation and
insisted on summary action.
The really unfortunate aspect of
the summary removal of the COM
missioners, aside from the appar-
ent ilI-considere1 haste and injUs-
tice of the executive action, is this:
No self-respecting man will be
willing to serve on any important
Vermont commission under the pres
ent administration if his right to
use his own judgment is to be alb
ridged, if he is to be dictated to and
his official action to be marked out
by the governor of the state.
| The Governor owes the people a
full explanation of every step taken
by him in this matter, and the peo-
pie should be satisfied with nothing
less than this.-[ Rutland News.
Statement by the Governor
In the course of an interview re-
garding developments growing out
of the telephone investigation and
changes in the public service COM
mission, Governor Fletcher last eve
ming said:
"While 1 do not deem it proper at
tHlS Tine " QlOCuSO L4lC 4C6d1 QAO0-
lions involved in the telephone con-
'troversy or the methods employed
in absorbing other companies or
otherwise, in view of the possibili-
ty of litigation between the state and
the telephone company, | desire to
say that what the state seeks is
knowledge of all the facts surround
ing this question necessary to the
affording of desired relief. This is
what the people are entitled to, as
believe. This is what we started
out to secure.
''It has been claimed in behalf of
the telephone company that it stood
ready to furnish this desired infor-
nation, but to my mind certain let
tiers from the telephone company's
representative in reply to requests
from Messrs. Cook and Graham,
who were requested to get such in
formation, do not bear out that as
sertion. Up 10 the present time the
state has not been signally success
full in securing this information,
Though all our steps taken have
been directed toward securing the
facts involving the Interests of the
people OF Vermont.
LAS indicated by the published
statement of the retiring member
of the public service commission,
the appointment of special counsel
to secure this information was
agreeable TO the commission because
of lack of time
Reason for Special Counsel
"Such an investigation by special
counsel appealed to me at that time
by reason of my information that
the public service commission as
then constituted had allowed Il con-
solidation of telephone companies
to increase rates in a way which
did not consider good policy for the
state of Vermont.
1.-The action Of the public service
commission, as formerly constituted,
regarding the use of the streets in
the village of Bennington for trunk
lines, in regard to the delay in put
ting into effect a railroad demur-
rage law, and its evident DISPOSE
ton to needlessly procrastinate in
bringing to a head a move TO secure
relief for the people in connection
with the telephone service and
rates complained of, convinced me
that the public welfare would be pro-
NOTED by a reorganization o. the
commission, especially with refer
ence to its executive.
while the Bennington case was
not so important in itself, It in
volved a material and far-reaching
principle, the disregarcing of which
would in my judgment have justifi-
ed a reorganization of the commits
sion at that time.
81 wish to state most emphatical- |
ly, that l have at no time asked Mr.. |
Watson to PREJUDICE the case or to /
take any action which would in it /
self prohibit the telephone company
from having fair hearing as to the
merits of the case. On the con-
trary that is exactly what the state
has desired, but it also wants to put
a stop to endless representation.
If a hearing were TO be held, We
would then be in a way to secure
the very facts we have been vainly
Nobody knows this better
han Mr.. Watson himself, and as
he so days specified in the recon-
of the special report am
ply demonstrates.
Case Not Pre-judged