New-York tribune., 1901-03-24
CONNECTICUT TOPICS.
THE AGITATION FOR CONSTITUTIONAL
REFORM.


WORK OF THE LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE
"A LARGE APPROPRIATION FOR
GOOD ROADS FAVORED.
tsar,sors Conn. March o CspeciaD.-The consti-
,utional reform question is getting INTO SHAPE l'
legislative hearings. and The really oofnihar' ~ ~
,snn ~ the session viii then be under iul ieaa-
way The friends Of reform by amendment as 10
now provided. as against constitutional conNei- -
10, have figured out a plan by which nineteen
Iseprescntatiyes would be added 10 lhe ilouS' '
,vhich is already large. This plan does not lahe
town representation away in any sense put HA''
one representative for every Town TWO ior edch
,ou-n Of five thousand people or more, and one ad-
oitional for each twenty thousand. Ihis woulu
rive the seven larger cities OF the state thif''
three representatives where they now nave loui-
teen and would even up great disparity OF rep
reseutation which exists, whereby the sudileS'
SON, in the State has TWO Representatives ana the
LARGEST CITY precisely the same number fll''-
t,yo towns %hch have two f.epreset'auNeS
eaeh would have only one. as they al IAN oelo"
-. Eve Thousand population limit Eghty-one
,ov,ns would be undisturbed that now nave one
Taenrescntative each and twenty-eight undlsturoed
that now have two Representatives. The schefhe
Is comfortable one. and meets the great opJecuoh
10 the present system. Taken i'm connectloh WIN
she rluralty amendment already on the way IL
would correct the evils complained of by methods
that ere recognized by the constitution Itself
Friends of the convention plan, while urging mat
town renresentatinn should not he lnterierea WILL
foreet the Injunction of Governor Mclean, VINO
saws that such a convention would open The ooor
for many changes which are not asked for OF oe-
sired Tho contes; affects the entire citizenship OF
the state as no other contest before the presehl
legislature docs.
The woman suffragists had their biennial field
dsv in The legislative halls Wednesday. when Mrs
Gait of the National Association of Woman SUI
fragists was the chief speaker. The annual CON
venton was he'd Thursday, and the attendance
was the smallest since the State Suffrage Assocla-
,ion was formed Mrs. Isabella Beecher Hooker
was again chosen president Of the association Inc
school suffrage which is the privilege or
women is almost entirely neglected and. WIN the
eXcertien the biennial attack on the ieelSla1ure
the movement seems be nearly dead in ths state
The Law and order League has several bills be-
fore the legislature. Of which proposes to Sc
cure to the league the control of prizehghtng ex-
hibitions Senator Konealy opposed the hill on the
ground that the granting Of authority TO private
corporations to enforce law was not good public
policy. and the bill was defeated. The league is
also interested in slot gambling machine bills ana
other special bills 10 cover certain lines which III
has been unable work upon successfully 1t
meets with determined opposition, as usual, but
will probably secure OF the legislation it asks
for
An educational ILL before the legislature which
has made a deal of stir is that providing Tor an
equalization OF school taxes in towns where the
school district system still prevails The towns
are now compelled lay tax OF one mill, the
amount TO be divided among the districts pro rata
The new plan is have the act peTmlSslHe 10 inc
larger amount divided 1t has met with determined
opposition by the larger districts OF the city eA
Governor BuIkeley leading it, The Inequalities OF
taxation OF school districts in tins city range rom
Oh mills the dollar 10 mills ana t;le qlstti.1s
having the smaller grand lists nave 10 lay ine
heaviest tax rate in order TO keep ther schoolS up
10 the standard required Icy the hlgh Schoo! 10
which their pupils are graduated
The policy Of the State has apparently peeh lAea
in the subject of good roads The experiment OF
State aid TO towns desiring 10 improve their high-
WAYS has been tried for the last FIVE years IL mas
been 50 successful that the bill now before the
legislature providing that Sio 600 be approIriat go
fort ths. coming years TO be expended under the
The movement this State was started by the
League of American Wheemen. and II has peen
- inaorsed by all organizations having TO do with
n the highways travellers.
Tho annual election of members Of the common
Council Board and Of such town officers as were
y made necessary by the consolidation OF city ana
town WIN he held in this city April ]. There
Is much interest in general sense, although
the ward contests bid fair 10 be lively. what at
attention is the effort OF the newly or
ganized Democratic club GTyaniteD TO get centro
cf the party organization for many years held by
james Campbell chairman Of the town COM
mttee and by James Farrell member of the
Board OF Asscss0rs This combina ton. the Demo-
It's lowest ebb. and driven many Democrats, the
best element Of the party. into the Republican
ranks. The outlook promises the largest Demo-
cratic caucuses in years II Will not have any seri
ons eoct u on the election, as the contest Is wholly
within the Democratic party
III. y. Goodale. a collector and expert has pre-
sented 10 the Trinity College Museum Of Natural
History two thousand specimens of insects This S
the first collection the museum has received since
Its new building was erected, last year.