The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-16
in Third Annual Report, Publc Utilities Commission Reviews Work of Year and Deals at Length With Financial Con ditions of ths New Haven Road
Total Number of Pubic Service Corporations Under Jurisdic- ton of the Board Is 19O Gas and Electric Light Enter prises Show Large Earning Powers

The third annual report of the Pub lie Utilities Commission has been sub mitted to the governor. The com mission states that the continued frank and friendly cooperation of a1 public service companies and the prompt aeceptances of suggestions made by the commission as well as the compliance with orders for the bet ation is resulting in an increased eff fIciency that is highly gratifying to the commission.
 Attention Is again called to the rec otnmendations made in the report for 1912 that there should be enacted ia law which will effectively prohibit fhe rnerger or consolid idatfop of public service companies without first eb- taining the approval of the Public Utilities Commission.
 On March IT. 1914, the commissi on Issued ah order temporarily suspend pertaining to the elimination of grade crossings, until further order, in r'e- sponse to a petition Of the New York. New Haven and Hartford railroad. company on the ground that the ff- naneta1 condition of the company was such as to make 1t impossibfe to. comply with such orders and with the
 
 elimination of crossings
 The annual Inspection of steam rail roads and electric street railways in cluded az careful examination Of tb~ roadbed, track. ties. culverts and bridges stations and grounds and while certain defects were observed and ordered rectifted. it was found that the railroads and railways were Eenerally kept in suitable repair
 The commission reviews the work Of the year and submits a detailed statement Of the financial condftio on and results Of operation Of the several public service companies based on their reDorta
 Tnere are 1s0 public service com panfes under the Jurisdiction Of the commission: z9 electric, 2 express. 13. gas, fl gas and electric, 8 railroad, ephone and gS water companies.
 Forty-eight petitions for approval of proposed construction or recon struction of tracks by street railway compantes have been approved in whole or in part
 Ninetaek pernnlts have been issEed Tor the running of special Sunday, trains.
 Eighty six petitions of 8 miseelIan- eous character have been heard and formal orders entered relative there
 During the year there have been tested at tho laboratory of the com mission 17 electric meters and 24 gas meters
 One hundred and fourteen inform 2 al c01npfaints were received, all Of which were investigated and in most cases the conditions complained of were corrected.
 D11rillr the year endlng June 30, 1914. there were 4, ,z5e accidents re- ported by the several classes of pub lie service companies 232 Of which were fatalities and 4,BS2 were acci- dents oR a more or less serious char acter and 1 91 were accidents in which no personal injuries were sustain ed. An analysis of these accidents shows that the greatest number of fata1i- ties occurred in the month of Sep tenber when 44 persons were killed and the smallest number in Febru-s ary when 2 persons were killsd The greatest nunaber of accidents oceur- red in tho month Of June. the tcSaI number being AT of which IT were fatalities Of thsise reported acci-' dsuts BUS. were made the subject of ap6caa1 investigation on the part of the commission with q view to deter mining the cause and for the purpose Of making to the companies involved such suggeseions. if possible, as would avoid similar accidents in the futare- B7fty-eag41t such suggestions were n7aas. Or these investfgated aUct- dents 1s1 were in connection with rallrosds, 6S in connection with street railways and 2e were among more accidents reported during this year tlnAn reported year ago. The total number of fatalities was 12 Isss Of this total number Of fatalities 15s were on railroads while these report ed by street railways was 49- Of oo
 On March @, 1914 the commission isss1sd an order requiring the several Ras eaeUtr1c and water companies to make a d1strfbJ1t1on Of fts fixed capt. 1zfal in accordance with q classff ca@ Hon which 1t prescribed in this order h the cons1deratton of uuest1ons reIa- five to rates charged and in other xaaEkerB the amount of invested cap Sfa1 becomes d matter of importance and on account of the irregular way fn which this had hereto1ore beeh re- ported f11e commission ordered 1t nee easary to have thds established on a uniform haMas. Tho result shown in ff1e reports submitted has been high 1y eaxiHfactury.
 sshe conarniss1cn has collected from k7ae various water companies certain arxk ion relative to the general sn6ampgg c& the supervision exercised !. 4y1 MnGh companies over water sheds and sources Of supply, the extent to -vflfch supply for domestic purposes sz mechanically or chemically treat- ed before use and the care taken that aiKMyva1er supply is maintained at 8 nropaE standard of purity, and the S,1fornaafion obtained is Of interest.
 Ik- appears that the method in use forfha profeefinn of water sheds and water supply from contamination by Ina operating 11m1pazaseg ig a1 follows: Ew po@e1MB 3BtaS@s 1s cement re1egs- w1zx. 4i ne4 a71sGuanH a1F aEeasszEsna