The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-01-03
LEGISLATION OF i806.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WILL CON
 VENE To-MoRRoW.

Hartford, Jan. 1.-With the close Of the old year and the incoming of a new one, popular interest in connecti- cut is turning rapidly towards the forthcoming session of the General As sembly. It will take up it's Iabors on Wednesday next amid the brilliant setting of the inauguration of Lieut. tenant-Governor Roberts as Governor of Connecticut. On the preceding evening the party caucuses will be held, those of the Democratic mem bers, however, lacking the excitement which usually accompanies that of the dominant party. The caucuses transact the customary preliminary business which includes for each the selection of its own officers, notably that of Speaker of the House, mem bers and a president by the Senate.
 In the case of the House custom provides that speaker of the preced- ing session shall call to order and ac- 'cordingly Michael Kenealy of Stam- ford will call to order in caucus and in the House Chamber the body over which he presided last time, and of which he is also a member for the coming session. The selection of Judge Marcus H. Holcomb of Southington for speaker seems assured.
 The Senate will be called to order by the Secretary of State and a presi- dent pro tenn immediately will be named who will preside until formal organization is completed. At the out set, the Senate faces contested cleo tion in the Second District.
 In most quarters the impression pre- vails that the legislation will not be of any special distinctive character and that apart from the Senatorial fight the machinery will run with unusual smoothness. A flood of bills of various kinds is already assured but the num- Der is not expected to be record break ing. The most important measure and the one which will appeal to the citi- zens of the State, apparently, will be that which will come from savings bank interests for repeal of so much of section 2,422 of the General Statutes as imposes a tax of i per cent on de- posits in savings banks. The tax at present amounts to nearly half a mill lion dollars and the present prosperity of the State. in a financial way. is an argument which will be advanced by supporters of the bill
 Legislation to meet the legal situa- ton which has been precipitated by the suits of D. Preston Atwood against delinquent administrators of estates, is likely to receive early attention, owing to the opinion held by many lawyers that 1t is made immediately necessary by reason of the approach gof the time for trials of actions in the Court of Common Pleas in Bridge port
 Petitions for franchises for new cleo trio roads will come from nearly all parts of the State. Many of these railway measures, which have been made public, seem to indicate a de- sire on the part of promoters to take up franchises on highways which are in ..territories offering some induce nlent in the way of suburban traffic, The Consolidated Railway Company, which has come into being at com paratively recent date, desires further extensions of it's lines in directions which may bringit into a clash with the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company, which has plans on foot to double track it's own rights of way.
 The steam roads apparently will not make many requests for legislation, al- though the matter of car demurrage may come up, the Assembly being asked to repeal the law fixing four days as the time in which consignees may unload goods without per diem tax. All the railroads in New Eng land are in favor of limiting the time to AS hours, as is the case in the West, thus preventing frequent car shortages
 by releasing cars which are side-track- ed at billing points. Some speculation is being heard as to whether the New York Central
 Road will take steps towards securing a franchises for a cutoff line along the survey which for some months has extended across the State from Brewster, N. Y., to Springfield, Mass This does not seem probable, however In town and city legislation there is expected to be some activity. West Haven, having a leaning towards the dignity of a municipality, would like to be separated from the town of Orange; Waterbury wants changes in the city charter and Norwich has like desires; the Citizens League of New Haven would like to have the Board of Police Commissioners abolished and the Police Department of that city re- constructed
 A new law to provide for punish- ment for theft of motor cycles and automobiles is claimed to be necessary as the present statute does not mention these vehicles. Manufacturers of auto- mobiles want more privileges on the highways, while the farmers want a further restriction of the speed limit, Liquor dealers would like a few fayors towards their business, one of which is the proposition of the Hotel Mems As- sociation for Sunday selling in hostel ries of good reputation.
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