Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-07
WAS A BUSY WEEK.
Legislators Gave Considerable Atten-
 ton to Waterbury Strike.

lIOu LO WdIeEDuTy SITlkSs
 Hartford, Feb 7.-With the pound ing of the speakers gavel in the house at noon yesterday, closing the weeks sessions of the general assembly, there came to an end the heaviest week of business that old legislators remember in recent years. While the whole number of bills, petitions and resolutions entered on the clerks books yesterday, the last day for new business, was not equal to the number presented two years ago, the fact that one week less was set aside to receive them made the final rush heavier than l ever before. For two hours each day bills rained on the clerks desks, swamping them with all sorts and con- ditions of proposed new legislation. Naturally the Waterbury strike situ- ation received a good share of atten- 1 tion in Hartford this week, and grist l of new laws was proposed to tlt the actual or imagined conditions when I the state militia has to be called out. | One of them called for a special com | mittee to investigate the situation on the part of the assembly, but this was l promptly killed in the house. not however, without some lively debate. Mir Cross of Waterbury said that a smelling" committee would not be re- ceived with any favor by Waterbury people. One other strike bill, pro- ! posed by MT Hubbard of Litchfeld, I provided that whenever the militia is called out the town or city protected ! should pay the cost instead of the state. Another bill aimed to remodel the state riot laws gave the mayors of cities the right to close saloons dur ing public trouble, and also made it mandatory on all sherifs to close sa- looms whenever callad ost to sto., trou- ble. If this bill Dr.;D,ues :aM ali sa- Icons will have % clcs,s dnrlng any riots.
 Tn this connection the reorganiza- ton of the militia came up in several
 new measures. One proposes that no
 regiment may be disbanded without
 the permission of the residents of the
 county or district interested. Another
 reorganizes the militia along county
 lines. Another raises coast artil-
 lery.'
 Railroad measures were among the
 most important of the new business
 offered this week. The, Connecticut
 Western road asked for right to cross
 the East Granby farm, made famous
 by the great fight two years ago in
 which the Connecticut Western lost
 As the Connecticut Western has in
 cOrporated smaller company known
 as the Short Line" road for the pur.
 pose of crossing the disputed land
 the bill offered by Senator Woodruff . ,yesterday making it impossible fol , any railroad company mot specially chartered by the assembly," to take . land under eminent domain, shows that the old fight is to be renewed, ii along novel lines. One more bill tha < will receive much attention provides , that no company can incorporate tt r build a railroad without a special char , ter, 9 measure evidently aimed at tn,
 incorporation under the railroad law F of such a company as the recently or , ganized Hartford, Middletown ana , New Haven third rail line, backed b. , IBoston interests.
 Now that the grist of new bills i I in the legislature will settle down t ; the hard work of the session. Tn, : evident desire of the leaders of the as ! sembly this year to cut down tn s 1 number of weeks given up to bushes e is likely to bear fruit in an early ad I journment. Already several of tn q committees are well under way wit v their reports, and as Fridays are here $ after to be given up to hearings it i , expected that business will go ahea t n.,w with rush. Mfr Banks. leade a Of the house, yesterday stated tha
 there would probably be only two ses sion days next week, as Thursday
 Lincoln's birthday, but this will be tn q only let-up sin a vigorous prosecutio s of legislative business this year.
 This coming week a number of in = portant committee hearings will | = held The house committee on cor !, stitntional amendments will sit. I'll TT Judiciary committee will sit Tuesda 1 i, and Wednesday adn the railroad con ar mittee will take up Connecticut Raj ,d way and Lighting Go matters, and als . petitions from Hartford, Glastonbur ? Torrington, Seymour, Woodbury m < Bristol.
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