Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-20

out extra expense. By consolidation these items would be aved: Interest account $2, ,O52 29, salary $4, ,791.95, labor $2O, ,0O0, outside poor account $s0, 900, aims house $1 ,G14. contingent s2,Sl73O, registrar
 Postmaster B. R. English was the next witness. He had served as selectlnan re- gently, and also on the city fire commission. He said no city commission received pay, but the selectmen did charge for their services. He considered the selectmen's management of the towns afair..very slack. They spent all the annual income and then borrowed money to piece out the year. The giving out of town work had been influenced by politics. Postmaster English considered the bill very fair one, and believed that the majority of the people of New Haven favored it. He had heard no argument against the bill except that "we want to be let alone" He was not cross examined.
 Police Commissioner Franklin H. Hart of Strong, Barnes, Hart & Company was next called.
 MT. Hart was selectman in 1881. He fa- vored the bill on the whole, but believed that the board of charities and correction should be appointed by the aldermen and should be non-partisan, as at present, instead of by the Mayor, as the proposed bill pro- vides. MT. Hart thought city board would avoid all the present conflict between town government and police department of the city. He was satisfied that much imposition was practised on the selectmen by designing people. The general sentiment of the people was in favor of the bill.
 Joel A. Sperry, ex-selectman and alder man, said he was very much in favor of the bill, as the town meetings were unbusiness- like and did not give fair expression. Any objects could be carried by inter ested parties. He had never seen over two hundred and fifty persons at a town meeting. No reflection was cast upon the selectmen, but the system was wrong. Mr. Sperry said the people of New Haven were in favor of the bill and none opposed, except residents of the Annex and Westville. The present bill is very fair to these people. At this point petition in favor of the bill was received from 99 out of the 225 voters of the Fifteenth ward of the Annex.
 Francis C.. Anthony, deputy collector of taxes for eighteen years, testified in regard to the selectmens' manner of making mili- tary enrollments and that for 1876, 1877 and 1878 the selectmen had made no enrolment Attorney filling said he should argue from this that the selectmen never obeyed the law concerning military taxes, for, if they did, their heads would go off immediately MT. Anthony said that the military and poll taxes had not been collected for years.
 Police Commissioner Charles L. Baldwin,
 
 government in many capacities, said his ex- perience caused him to think that the bill would be in every way beneficial. At pres ent about three departments are maintained, each having to be supplied with separate tools, etc., to do the same kind of work.
 The committee will sit this evening and it is expected that all the case for the favorers of consolidation will be put in.
 James D. Dewell, Major I. T.Attwater Barnes and other prominent citizens also spoke in favor of consolidation and petition of four hundred citizens of the city in it's favor.
 THE SECRET BALLOT HEARING.
 The judiciary committee concluded the consideration of bills relating to ballot re- form to-day. The Henney bill received the most attention. This bill which has become familiar, provides in brief-not for envel- opes lent for a general ticket containing all the nominations on which the elector marks his choices. Representative Chapin of Meri- den, made long speech in favor of the bill. Representative Wolfe suggested some changes of minor importance. Labor Commissioner Hotchkiss favors the Henney bill very strongly. One of the most effective speeches in favor of ballot reform was made by William A. Countryman of the Hartford Evening Post, formerly popular news paper man of New Haven. Mir. Countryman is opposed 10 the envelope system, which he claims de- feats the purpose. He favors the "Henney bill, /" and called attention to the fact that in the colonial records were references to sys- tenn of balloting like the one proposed. Prof. H. B. Blake of New Haven, who has a secret ballot bill before the committee, was present to-day, but did not have chance to speak upon 1t.
 DIR. ADAMS' RAILROAD.
 The railroad committee this afternoon heard the petition of the New York and Connecticut Air Line tor an extension of time in which to complete the road which is better known as the 'tOlmstead parallel"
 A.P. Hyde of Hartford, counsel for the road of which Dr.C. B. Adams of New Haven is president, appeared and said that $200,- 900 has actually been expended. The reason why the road had not been built was on ac- count of the death of Mir. Olmstead and change of management. There had been fighting among the different stockholders and at one time William Fl. Stevenson, who held one share, was made president. Injunctions had been got out and there had been consid erable fighting in the courts. But HOW all the trouble was over. The present directo- rate is as follows:
 Dr. O.. B. Adams, New Haven; F. N M. Hayes, G. s. Forbush, Boston; N. M. Stevenson, Bridgeport; A. B. Mygatt, New Milford; H. R. Parrott, c. B. Coolidge, J. B. Hurlburt, G. R. Cowles, Norwalk.
 Attorney Fl. 0. Robinson, of the Consoli- dated road, opposed the petition. He called attention to the fact that the petitioners did not want to build a road but only to sell franchises and that MT. Starbuck had said he and the New England syndicate cons trolled this charter already. He read from Judge Shipman's finding of facts concerning the New York and Connecticut Air Line, and maintained that the petitioners had not car ried out the provisions of the law. No other parties were heard in relation to the matter.
 LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
 The House and Senate convened at o'clock and lost but little time in adjourning for dinner and the committee work. A report of the judiciary committee on the petition of Murderer Swift for communication of sentence was expected to-day but it did not come, perhaps on account of the absence of Senator Hall, the chairman.
 The House passed the vinegar bill after some opposition by Representatives Wolf of New Haven and McCrone of Enfield. The bill will stimulate the pure cider vinegar business among the farmers. It provides that no vinegar made by acids, chemicals, or AI N-r,A