Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-09
FIGHTING FOR A CHARTER.

The Winchester AOrge oar company An Animated Hearing Before the Committee on Cities and BorOughH- The Legislature May Adjourn June l The School management Fight.
 HARTFORD, May 8. Especial Correspondence to the JOURNAL AND
 CoURIER.l
 The committee appointed yesterday will re- port tomorrow they having canvassed the business remaining to be done, it believes June 1, will be passable date for adjourn ment of the present General Assembly. A herculean effort, however, will be necessary to accomplish this result.
 The principal event of interest to New Ha- veners at the Capitol to-day was the hearing on the application of the Winchester avenue horse car company for charter to build an electric railroad from the depot to Commerce street, to George, to College, to Grove, Pros- pect and Winchester avenues, to Mill Rock. One hearing has already been had on the matter, but the petitioners desired to put in more evidence before the committee on cities and boroughs. A number of prominent citi- zens were present. Among whom were Al dermen Bushnell, Thompson snd Avis, R. H. Brown, Dr. J. P. Phillips, ex-Judge Sheldon, ex-Mayor Lewis, Edward Bryan, Mayor Peck, Horace Day, Joseph T. Whittlesey, Henry 0. Rowe, R. P. Cowles and Gardner Morse.
 Prof. W. K. Townsend, corporation eoun- sel, by instruction of the aldermen, favored the measure. Ex-Mayor York appeared for the applicants. Judge Deming for the State West Haven company, both of which object to the rival, and Henry c. White for Presi- dent Dwight of Yale, who objects on account of the noise, it is said. The lawyers spent half an hopr in argument before any business was done.
 Judge Deming and Attorney Bush wanted the hearing continued as they said that they were taken by surprise, not expecting the petitioners were going to bring up the host of witnesses present. After long debate it was decided that the hearing should go on tosday, and the remonstrants' have chance to introduce their evidenae next Tuesday. Both sides waived oss.examinations to save time. The first witness was Mayor Peck, who testified that he thought public necessity and convenience made the new road adVisa- ble.
 Alderman Frank o. Bushnell, who is al- ways interesting, said that there was no op- position in the First ward to the new road except by one or two college professors. He thought 90 per cent. of the people of New Haven were in favor of the new road.
 Alderman Bushnell said there was not horse railroad in New Haven that cared snap about the people. And the fact that the only ones who opposed the petition were
  ment for granting the charter.
 Alderman s. s. Thompson of the First ward emphatically said that the new road was needed, especially for the poorer class of people.
 Alderman Thompson said that when pe- tition was before the board of aldermen of the West Haven road for double tracking Church street it was suggested that the other horse car companies should be allowed to run to the depot, nothing more was heard of the petition. He held that all the cars should be allowed to run to the depot for no particular company should have the monopoly. The new road was needed very much.
 Alderman s. R. Avis, through whose land the proposed road would run, testified in fa- vor of the new road, and that 700 employees of the Winchester Arms company petitioned for it.
 Ex-Mayor Lewis was very strongly in favor of the applicants.
 Horace Day, secretary of the board of edu- cation, who is in favor of the new road, read some figures showing that the increase of school children in Winchester district had doubled that of any other outlying district
 Representative Wolfe said that he had been requested by many of his constituents to speak in favor of the Winchester avenue road.
 Nr. Bryan, of Yale & Bryan, also favored the petitioners.
 Henry c. Rowe, the oyster grower, Mayor Ruel P. Cowles, c. R. Gufhn, Theodore Til- ton, Gardner Morse, Joseph T. Whittlesey and others spoke strongly in favor of the proposed road and several letters were laid in. Most of the witnesses laid stress on the fact that there is at present but one road that carries passengers to the depot for one fare from above Chapel street and east and west of Church street and that none do with out the changing of cars. Next Tuesday the remonstrants will be heard. The Fair Haven and Westville company was not represented us it does not oppose the proposed road.
 The railroad committee was to hear the petition of the Hartford and Connecticut Western railroad company to issue bonds to- day but the company has secured sufficient capital by other means and withdrew its pe tition. The committee reported to-day ill favor of the bill making reports of railroads conform to the requirements of the Inter- State Commerce law and providing that their books shall always be open to the inspection of legislative committees.
 The bill authorizing the issue of $200, ,000 four per cent. New Haven park bonds was amended to make them taxable and passed by the senate.
 MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS.
 The bill providing for town management of schools was the order of the day in the sen ate. Senator Clark amended it to apply to cities as well. The amendment was rejected, 15 to 5.
 Senator Clark objected to the entire meas ure and argued that the people of the country school districts are quite as competent to manage their school affairs as those of the city school districts, which are to be left to be managed by their residents.
 Senator Fuller, who has had large experi- ence in school affairs, argued that the bill provided an efficient system of school man. aRement which must result in great benefits. The senator made 8 careful speech, bristling with facts and fgues of interest, showing the evils of the present system.
 Senator Cleveland took the floor in oppo- sition to the bill. He called attention to the improrriety of forcing the proposed system on the small towns and excluding the larger towns containing cities. The bill would be gross interference with the rights of self-gov- ernment in the towns.
 Senator Graham characterized the bill as vicious measure and moved that the vote be taken by yeas and nays.
 Senator Clark further argued against the bill, and said that if he voted for it he would not like to encounter his constituents after- wards.
 mine the effect of the bill and how it is re- garded by the people in his section. The bill was then tabled on his motion.
 THE HOUSE.
 It was voted by the House to indefinitely postpone the bill providing biennial elections of town officers.
 The committee on finance reported sub stituts bill taxing telegraph companies twen- ty-five cents for every mile of wire operated or leased, and telephone companies seventy cents for every transmitter, and no tax on appliances. The report was tabled for cal endar.
 The bill providing that county commis- sioners shall be elected by the people was defeated by an aye and nay vote, 101 to S1.
 VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR.
 Governor Bulkeley sent in a veto on the resolution incorporating the Norwalk Safe poration is thereby relieved from taxation for local purposes.