Litchfield enquirer., 1881-01-13

ing the examination of railroad employees in regard to color blindness" I refer you to the report and it's accompanying papers for de- tails of the execution of the, statute. When it is considered that no railroad accident in this state. or any other state of the union, has ever been traced to color blindness, or to de- fective visual powers of railroad employees, it would seem that no good reason exists for the continuance of this law, and recommend to you it's repeal. If any enactments are deemed desirable. would respectfully sug- gest that the whole subject be left. by some simple provision of the law, to the railroad corporations themselves. Their experience. and their interests are such as to enable and. impel them to decide what precautions are best fitted to secure the safety of the travelling public. 1 would also suggest that whatever the law may be, its execution be entrusted to the general railroad commissioners. It is an exercise of the police power of the state over the railroads which more properly devolves upon this board. 4s.sses ! The national guard is reported as composed of 183 commissioned officers, and 3, 7S1 en- listed men,, giving total of 9 y14 as the ac tive military force of the state. This is a slight decrease from last year. The report of the quartermaster general shows that the usual work of the year has been performed and that in matters of equipment and disci- pIine the force is in a satisfactory condition. By general order the maximum of enlisted men has been somewhat reduced, resulting in a saving of expense and in no impairment of efficient force. The expenditures of this de- partment of the state service have amounted to $S0, 6O9.67, and for the governors guards and independent companies it has been $15,- O2l.0 more, making total military expendi ture $103, ,630 75 I think that the people of any state may well congratulate themselves when the cost of so efficient an establishment forms, as with us, only the fifteenth part of their general expenses.
 COMMON SCHOOLS
 The second largest item of expenditure up- on the civil list accounts is that of common schools. Itis exceeded only by the sum that the people pay for the support of their judi ciary system. The results of this large ex. penditure have for many years been most grat- flying, and the reports of the st ate beard of education and of their secretary show the con- tinued efficiency and thoroughness of our sys- tenn of free popular education. In respect to this department of public interest you will not be called upon for any but the usual leg islation. except perhaps in matters of detail It is worthy of remark that in our state there is experienced none of the b litter and ignorant opposition to the enforcement of the Compul- sory attendance laws that has been met with in some neighborng states The law has this year been more efficiently and perfectly en- forced than ever before and there is not the report of lisp of complaint This shows not only the temper of the people toward educa- tion, but also that there does not exist with us that necessity for the earnings of children of school age which supports the defiance of sim liar laws in other communities
 Closely connected with the matter of educa- tion is movement for rural improvement which has been begun in this state, and which has, under individual and private encourage ment. attained considerable importance, and is worthy of all support. It is the endeavor by local associations to beautify in all the reasonable, simple, and inexpensive ways our smaller towns and villages. This is not sub lect which will come before you in your legis lative capacity. but desire to allude to it in appreciation of what has been done and to ex- press sense uf the value which such move ment has. It tends most directly to the cheer ful, intelligent, and enduring happiness of our people that their surroundings should be such as to attach them to their homes and to the communities in which those homes are placed. It also makes our towns attractive places in which strangers may settle and ren- ders the remembrance of them the pleasanter to the large number of guests which our shore towns in particular are called upon every summer to entertain. This movement owes it's beginning and it's progress to the efforts of the present secretary of the state board of ed. ucation.
 STATE PRISON 
 At the state prison the year has been con- tlnuance of the reformed methods of admins tration introduced by the present assistant warden when temporarily in charge. The re- suits have been very satisfactory. Never be. fore has the proportion of punishments been 80 Small, and the attempts at escape SO few A record Of twenty months without single attempt forcibly to break the bonds of con 1nement is very unusual thing in the history ot prison management. This is undoubtedly largely due to the steady and judicious appli- cation or wise and reasonable regulations. Much, also, we are told by the directors, IS due to the character of the Sunday services. For this credit should be given to the self sacrifice and practical charity of the members of the Connecticut Prison association, and to the citizens of Hartford who have interested themselves in the welfare and improvement of the inmates. The directors of the prison make Tn thelr report two suggestions to which desire to call your attention. One is that the minimum term for which convict. shall be sent to the state prison shall be twelve months The report well sets out the reason why sentences for less term are found to work no good in the prisoner, and to interfere seriously with the economic management of the prison. Otfenses that are serious enough to demand the infamous punishment of con- hnement in the state prison certainly call for a sentence long enough in time to give oppor- turlty for reform, or at least improv anent. It IS evident that this cannot be done in sen- tences of two, four or eight months. The other topic to wi ich would refer is that of the granting of conditional pardons. The plan has been adopted and has been found to work we'll in other states The reasons given Tor 1t in the report of the prison directors seem cogent and well. founded and should re- ceiye your serions attention ...9 3 z.
 cannOnt, omit favorable mention of the Connecticut prison association, which admin isters state charity and performs an import ant work successfully and economically. Their report will show what results have re- warded their efforts. They merit and should receive rom the state such aid as their mod crate necessities require,
 STATE REFORM SCHOOL. qrs
 The state reform school, nnder the direc- tlon and approval of the board of trustees and with the hearty CO o-operation of the superin. tendeDt, IS entering upon 8 new system of management "a system tending to make the school true, reformitory, and not junior department of the state prison. With the aid granted by the last legislature, the family system has been successfully begun Judg- ing from the accounts of both the trustees and the superintendent, it promises fruitful re. suits in all the departments. The number of inmates in the school is somewhat increased. there being now present 307 One hundred and forty. eight have been received during the year, and lO9 discharged. The progress in general has been very satisfactory, and this institution was probably never in better con ditian. What it's present needs are you will find fully set forth in the papers which the will present to you. I hope that you will gran, all the material aid which may be reasonably needed to make the change in the management complete and effectual. An experiment of this kind (if in the light of the nCsNIR