Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-12
sTATE POLICE BILL,
Waterbury Got Some Pretty Hard
 Knocks at Hearing

| < Hartford, March 12.-S. F. Thrasler of the State Law and Order league ap- peared before the Judiciary committee at Hartford in support of establishing a state police force under the control of a board of eight commissioners, who shall be allowed their necessary ex- penses. The headquarters of the com missioners and the department shall be l in this city and the salaries of the
 members of the force shall be as fol lows: The superintendent, $3,000; as sistant, $1,500 and that of each of the eight policemen, $1,20O.
 ID. F. Arvine of New Haven, after explaining the works of centralized and local police forces, urged the conibina- ton of both as the most effective meth
 cd of the suppression of crime, citing
 the work of the Scotland Yard detec- 1 tive bureau in England. He said if the league had accomplished So much
 since its organization, it's existence l formed strong argument for the ere
 atiOn of state police force. He said
 that during the trouble of the machin- l fsts' strike in Ansonia, and at present
 in the city of Waterbury. the local po- 1 lice force was ineffective if not actual
 ly on the side of the lawless element. 1 The conditions in Ansonia and Wa
 terbury might be'repeated in New Ha-
 ven and in other cities, and in such cir
 cumstances the passage of the law is
 Imperative.
 B. J. Maher of New Haven offered
 substitute bill. authorizing the governor
 to appoint two deputy sheriffs in each
 county who shall have substantially
 the same powers contemplated to give
 to the proposed state police. The final section of the bill repea1s the charter l of the Law and Order league. Mr
 Maher said he offered 1t as n believer
 in home rule, and that it would serve the interests ustfce. It was less
 expensive, and did not violate the tra- l ditions of Connecticut law
 l B. M. Holden, who represented Shcr- ifs Durham, New Haven county; flaw ley, Fairfield county, and Brown, Mid dlesex county. appeared for the substi- ute bi1l. and in opposition to that ad- vocated by Mir Thrasher. MT Holden I said that state detective force would be wholly inadequate in the labor dis I turbances in Ansonia and Waterbury. He did not think the Judges of the su- perior court cared to appoint members of the state police force. as Mir Thrash I CTS bill provided. Tn his opinion the states attorneys could expend an uni limited sum for detective work. under the existing law. The sheriffs. Mr Holden said were honest and God-fear-
 ing men and were capable of preserv- ing order.
 I Charles B. Whiting of this city said
 there was "too much dog for the size
 of the tai1," as it provided for eleven men to supervise the work of eight
 men. The bill would bring the state
 into disrepute. At present the state. 50 MT Whiting said, was remarkably
 orderly, and 10 advertise 1t as in need
 of more protection would deter people | from coming to Connecticut. Tn his opinion vice that was so unobtrusive.
 as to need spies to discover it had bet ter remain unknown. He preferred vice located and watched by the police than to be scattered broadcast.
 I The league did not reform anyone and was not likely to; the state police bill was offensive the majority of the people of the state, who felt witb him that it would involve large anG
 useless expense,
 Mir Thrasher spoke briefly in conclu
 sion, saying that the only opposition
 came from two attorneys who merely wanted to repeal the charter of the
 league, and that thev had been defend ing men who had been prosecuted by the organization.