Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-21
WORK IN TIE LEGISLATURE.
Snow Storm Interfered With
 Business The Past Week.

 Setting Price for Constitutional Del
 egates One of the Principal Worzs
 of the Week-Many Important Hear
 ings Postponed Owing to the Very
 Stormy Weather
 Hartford, Feb 21.-The snow storm this week interfered greatly with the course of legislative business, but com paratively few members who live away from the easiest ransporta ton to the capital being able to attend the sessions. As a result there were few CT reports from committees than for some time, and the committee hearings were poorly attended. Of the few measures which came up for action this week several were important, among them the final action on the pay of the delegates to the constitutional con- vention, the proposed trolley road from Naugatuck to Seymour, the pay ment of the cost of the Waterbury strike. and the payment of James H. McElroy as collector of taxes in Bridgeport, the last long disputed case.
 In concurrence with the house the senate this week set the pay of the constitutional convention delegates at $500, there being only a slight move ment in favor of increasing the figure to $500, Senator Fuessenich alone argu- ing for the increase. The Naugatuck- Seymour trolley road was the first fa- vorable report of moment from the railroad committee, and makes possi- ble the building over of the gap in trolley communication which now ex- 1sts between Waterbury and Bridge port. The Waterbury strike payment came up in the senate on a report of the committee on appropriations in favor of an appropriation of $15,OOO to cover the cost of the militia's stay in Waterbury, and was sent to the house for joint action. The. McElroy collec- torship payment in Bridgeport came at the end of prolonged court fight in that city over the seating of the tax collector, and the resolution paying James H. McElroy for his services as temporary collector was presented by Chairman Banks of the judiciary com mittee, who had conducted the case of his democratic opponent before the courts, a statement that brought cheers from the democratic side An announcement by MT Banks on Thurs day was to the effect that for several rweeks to come the house would not open until 11:3O a. m., though later on 1O:8O sessions would be commenced. Owing to the bad weather the inn portant hearings on representation re- form before the house committee on constitutional amendments, scheduled for this week, brought out only few appearances. Hartford held the floor Tuesday, New Haven Wednesday and New London Thursday afternoons. This coming week Fairfield county will be heard on Tuesday, afternoon at 2 o'clock in the hall of the house, Wind ham and Litchfield counties on Wed nesday, and Holland and Middlesex counties Thursday. At these hearings l other speakers than those from the counties mentioned will be heard if they appear, the arrangement being tc systematize appearances simply.
 The joint committee on congressional and senatorial districts held two meet ings last week to receive suggestions as to the redisTicting of the state, and this coming week will hear speakers from the following counties on the afternoons mentioned: Hartford Wednesday, February %; New Haven Thursday, February 26; Windham New London and Middlesex, Thurs day, February 27, the remaining coun ties coming in later weeks.
 Thus far the majority of the speak CTS before the house committee on con stitutional amendments have favored some reform in the present system o1 representation, the tide in favor of the so-called Chatfield plan. which gives each town one representative and adds one for each senatorial district to be decided upon. has been setting II strongly. A few apparently have beer in favor of the so-called Sliding scaIe' method, while there have been several speakers who favor no change in the present arrangement. On Thursday the Farmers association in the legis lature held a meeting at which 1t was decided to favor no change in the sys tenn of representation now in vogue showing that there will be concerted effort made by the opponents of any change agaaest any proposed reappor tAonment of representations.
 THE M AlS0NTC IJoNryr