New Britain herald., 1919-11-21
CONN. INDUSTRIES CALLED SUPERIOR
Prof. Robb Says They Need Fear
 No Competitors

10 rear rom competitors in other To- cslltles in the opinion of Prof. w. T.. fsopp, of Rensselaer, Polytechnic in stitute who addressed the connec+ic,,4 ehamoer Of Commerce yesterday. He based this opinion from the viewpoin1 or power ample in quantity. highly fellabIe and produced at minimum coSt' lie said, however, that it was eSSehllaI that power producers and power consumers keep up with the i%plo advancement that is being made almost daily in power production transmission, distribution and utiliza. tlon and to take full advantage of the states location on the Sound and eSreat navigable river.
 %W Prof. Robb after giving statistics MYf power plants and horsepower pro- #Puced said that power generally in tlle state IS not developed as econom- \ ieatly as It should be judged from s ap7lo o-date standards. There are too any power plants. There would be Sla reduction of about 100000 tons Nlln annual consumption of coal if DOW #|el' was developed in a limited num- Nl Der or large, Strategically located SIpowcr plants.
 #l Talks on Public Utilities.
 M1 Richard T. Higgins, chairman of Nsthc public utilities commission speak MHing at a group meeting, said that @ public utilities in Connecticut, except M transportation companies are in good N condition and making honest efforts @sto serve the public. He discussed #athc condition of transportation com s panicS, giving statistics as well. He B said that federal trustees of the Con- #1or rffic Nn #8as much compensation for supervis- 8Aing that corporation than does the Nutilities commission for supervising Mone hundred and sevent-one service N8 N8corpoHationS in the state. He said that MaWhcn railroads arc returned to private #@oWnerShip a system should be made would eliminate conflict of su- Supervisory authority between the fed 8eral and state commission.
 N He said it was futile to disintegrate M8trolley lines and place parts of them @sunder municipal control. They can Mnot now be divided without injury to #athe whole. To attempt to supply serv- N lice i'll cities by other means than N Natrolleys was absurd in his opinion, be- @Acause it would mean greater conges- #ation of traffic, more inconvenience ' land moro grumbling. As to labor MT. 8 8#Higgins believed that it should be # alawful for railroad or railway en- #AployeS to interrupt service because #8they are, from officers down, public # #8serVants. Of the factors of capital, $ 7labor and the public Mir. Higgins said E lthat capital alone is receiving no re- B turn. If dispute arises d legal trib- M8unal should have opportunity to in @3vestigate and adjust the grievance. A MApenal sentence, he believed should be MApossible to punish any one who would #3jeopardizc the rights of the public M8to transportation
 M Of the taxing system in Connecti- | cut, MT. Higgins said it was unjust and < |that it would tax public service cor
 E operations into the hands of receivers. E Supervision of rates by the govern E ment, if just makes it also just that # the governing powers should set the M wage rate. MT. Higgins criticized x public service corporations in not at @ tending to minor complaints. The @ .public be damned" policy of the past @ still fingers in the minds of the pub \ lie, and MT. Higgins declared must # be eradicated by honest effort now if x com panies are to survive.
 Prof. Copeland Talks.
 | Professor M. L. Copeland, of liar # ward university, told the retailers & group that he believed the country E had reached the end of the period of @ imitation, The active demand now x resulting from imitation, he believed # had arisen from consumers enjoying N q sudden rapid increase ill incomes N and they buying 1uxuries to which s# they were not previously accustome ed. @ He cited workmen buying silk shirts M Merchandise for spring delivery has @ been sold at prices which would N mean retail advances of from 20 to # 40 per cent.
 M Herbert K. TWitchell, president of @ the Chemical National bank in New M York, said he believed a weakness ex- M isted in the federal reserve system or @ it's administration when a situation M is created which warrants. renewal M for call money of 16 per cent. and M loans at 32 per cent. It ought not M be possible for a situation to become N so sensitive that a visit of members I# of the federal reserve board to New @ York should cause a collapse of the $ stock market in New York, he said zN Credit for commercial needs of the M country should be given and a check
 M placed on diversion of this credit into
 # other channels. Recognition of labor @ as q partner to a certain extent With
 N capital he suggested as one way of M solving labor unrest.
 M Foreign language newspapers were aN recommended as the best medium for @ com batting labor discontent and dan I& gerous propaganda by Miss Frances
 M A. Kellor, of New York, to another #a group. She urged that Americans buy @ into these papers, impose citizenship 5 qualifications upon editors and pub M fishers and sell industrial good will