New Britain herald., 1924-09-30

J. Henry Roraback Isn't running for office. He doesn't have to. He Is good as elected all the time.
 That Is the impression one gets from an expose by the Hartford Times, which has taken up the chsi- lenge of the Hartford Courant to name in what respects Roraback's career has damaged Connecticut.
 The Times does tho state service in enumerating the political ma chinations and barring the record ot Connecticut's political boss, one of the few of his type remaining in the United States.
 The Times expose lent itself to nearly three and half columns, and ended by declaring "The hour of such practices struck long ago in Connecticut. It is a pity that the people are asleep and have thus far failed to hear it."
 A little more of what the Times has given the people in this expose and its reverberatlon throughout the state, and there will be more of an awakening apparent.
 Roraback, 1t is shown, came to the state from Massachusetts at the age of 1s. He was a poor boy who sup ported himself by teaching school by day while he read law by night.
 He has become a rich man, yet he did not earn his riches by the practice of his profession or by teaching school" remarked the Times. He never has had a reputa- ton as a great lawyer. Indeed, 1t Is years since he has made any pretense of practicing his profession.
 water Power DehlS
 "A part of his wealth was gained by securing hydro-electric franchise rights from the legislature and selling those rights-which involved resources of which the state should have preserved its ownership-to a vast, out-of-the-state corporation, MT. Roarback early became inter- ested in hydro electric development Asa young man he was active in the formation of company which se- cured the right to dam the river at Canaan and manufacture electric power. The company prospered Then in 1905 Mir. Roraback persuad- ed the legislature to grant him a charter for the Rocky River Power company with a capital of $5o.00O and the right to increase 1t and pos sessing the right to sell electricity acquire other companies and to oper. ate anywhere in the state. This char ter lay dormant for years and no de- velopment was ever undertaken uu, der 1t. It was one of two granting such statewide, irrevocable rights The other was held by the Housa' tonic Power company, which also had the right to manufacture ant sell electricity anywhere In the state
 By 1917 MT. Roraback had found way to make his Rocky River power charter profitable. The legis lature passed a bill authorizing thu Housatonic Power company to sel itself to hfs Rocky River Power company, the name of which there upon became the Connecticut Ligh and Power company. The new char ter expressly provided that all tho rights of either of the old com panies should be possessed by th' new company. This new company or a controlling interest in it, wal then sold to the United Gas I'm provement company Of Philadelphia
 Under the ownership of thu United Gas Improvement compan! the Connecticut Light & Powe company constructed dams ant power houses on the Housatonic a Stevenson and has built grea steam plant at Devon on the sound The sale of the Connecticut Light S Power company to the U. G. ]. | supposed to have been a transaction that ran into the hundreds of thou sands.
 The granting of these state-wid charters, by which MT. Rorabacl has profited so handsomely, is on