The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-04-05


county commissioners reported favor
ably from the excise committee, Mr..
Tyler of East Haven, house chairman,
was in the house this morning. 1t
provides that the party appealing shall.
within five days after the rendering of
the decision of the county commission
ers, file with them notice of appeal
and give bond to such county to pay all
costs, in case he fails to sustain his
appeal.
The bills concerning the interests of
veterans Of the civil war, which ap-
peared on the files this morning, in
cluded an appropriation of $4,000 for
the completion of the water supply at
Fitch's home for the soldiers. and the
sum OF $500 for the purchase of land
at Noroton. The new bills also includ-
ed one authorizing the town of Man.
chester to make a contract with the
New York, New Haven and Hartford
road for the construction and mainte-
nance Of a public park on land belong
ing to the road in Manchester.
The act providing that the comptroll-
er shall provide the state library with
an original copy of the reports of
stenOgraphers made at committee hear
ings, recommended by the state library
committee will be ready for action this
week.
The adjourned hearing on the bill re-
lating to the safety fund of the Hart
ford Life Insurance company will come
up Thursday afternoon before the in
surance committee. President Keeney,
Secretary Charles H. Baea1l and ex-
Congressman Lewis Sperry will be
heard in support of the integrity and
preservation of the fund. 1t has come
to light since the hearing last Thurs
day that two members of the commit
tee, House Chairman Marvin of Say
brook and Griswold of West Hartford
have lapsed policies in the safety fund
department. Senator Donovan Of Nor
walk, who is a stickler for niceties of
legislative relationships, might raise the
point whether these two members
ought to take part in the hearings,
where they are virtually trying their
own cases. The hearing will be one of
the most important that the insurance
committee has had, and will command
the most interest ........
Two bills relating to the interests of
the Consolidated road will be reported
this week from the committee on rail-
roads. There will be favorable report
on the Consolidated Railway bill cover
ing all of the trolley roads in the state,
the ownership of which has been Sc
cured by the New York, New Haven
and Hartford. This bill places in the
hands of, the Consolidated road the
charter rights, franchises and extern
sions of time for organization and con-
struction which belonged to the COM
panies at the time of their requirement
by the new owners. The Thompson
road and charter privileges also go to
the Consolidated company under the
bill. The measure is comprehensive
and organic, giving the purchasers of
the trolley systems in the state what
the legislature had authorized in the
granting and extending Of charters to
the trolley roads separately. President
Mellen, of the Consolidated road, made
the railroad situation so clear at the
general hearing last Thursday that OPP
position, If 1t existed at the time, has
been disarmed. "a. sa.-.-,-
There will also be a favorable report
on the demurrage bill, which is design
ed with the object in view of giving the
railroad system the better control Of it's
rolling stock in the freight service The
present statute admits of the retention
Of freight cars by shippers ninety-six
hours. The Consolidated road asks
that the time shall be reduced one-half,
that is, allowing the shipper two days
for unloading. 1t was shown at the
hearing relative to the bill that ship
pers under the ninety-six-hour clause
have made use of the cars in disposing
of the freight, selling straight from the
cars. If the rolling stock is held more
than forty-eight hours by shippers it is
evident that the railroad is put to great
inconvenience and loss. The general
freight transportation is retarded, the
great corps of patrons of the road being
deprived of prompt service by shippers
in large bulks. The new demhrrage
bill is so thoroughly in the interest of
the public at large that its passage by
the general assembly is not doubted in
any way.
=, The Hartford school tax bill will be
reported favorably this week, the meas
ure having been agreed upon by all of
the school district chairmen in the city.
The bill is for the relief of the poor
school districts in Hartford, which lay
heavy taxes for the purpose of keeping
their schools equipped for educational
work. In two of the districts, the old
Brown, which comprises the richest ter
ritory in the city, and the Lords Fill
district, only a two-mill tax is laid by
the district for the, support of schools.
In the South school district, General
Henry c. Dwight's, five-mill tax is
laid. In some of the remaining dis
tricts the tax is as high as nine mile,
and in the Northeast eleven mills. This
inequality of taxes in the districts has
been the. cause of great dissatisfaction
and discomfort for years. The bill that
has been reached after a long and in
some respects bitter agitation provides
for the laying of a one-mill tax
throughout the city, the proceeds to be
under the control of the board of
finance. All districts in the city which
lay more than a five-mill tax are to be
beneficiaries of one-half of the proceeds
of the one-nill tax, the board Of finance
distributing to the weak districts ac-
cording to their needs. The amount of
relief secured under the law will be in
the neighborlood of $4,000 annually.
The sum is not large. but will be of