The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-27
TELEPHONES;
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.
THE CONNECTICUT 11G1s1ArURE

THE CONNECTICUT LLGISLATURE. We do not recall that ever in the past the Connecticut legislature came in for the consideration now being given 1t by the newspaper press and by citizens in their private converse ton. The extreme length of the session this year appalled, the people of the State because it suggested so many things characteristic of actual inef1ciency whether they had real existence or not. Just what to do now, if something must be done to improve the conditions and the legis- lative output, cannot be easily told, Men of experience are in disagree ment as to the best methods to adopt and the best policies to enforce.
 It is to aid in the discussion and to encourage an intelligent investigation of the facts that The Journal and Courier has been conducting for some time a correspondence with members of the General Assembly. It has been an immensely interesting and in- structive task, even though it must be said that there is no such agreement upon remedy as to justify a predic- ton as to the final outcome We shall shortly begin to print the letters which we have received from well known legislators of experience when the interpretation put upon them by students of the general problem will to say the least clear the atmosphere. It will be seen that over the entire dis cussion hangs the advisability or inad- visibility of biennial sessions. That is the rock upon which men of the same political faith split and it is the rock which must finally be disposed of one way vr the other before real re- forms can be introduced. It has never seemed to us that forms and systems of government were as important as the men selected to do the governing. The poorest system conceivable may be beneficially administered by up- right, competent and experienced men. The best system that men are capable of organizing can be beaten and dis credited by incompetent, unreliable and inexperienced men. We have here in the city of New Haven the meanest form of government in the police de- partment that man has ever formulat- ed. It easily lends Itself to mischief making; it is a constant invitation to corrupt government. It does not work mischief because the men who serve as police commissioners have higher sense of responsibility than is always the case.
 The displeasing feature of biennial sessions of the General Assembly has to do with the history of their intro- duction, not with any principle which may lie back of infrequent sessions. The biennial session in Connecticut was a corporation made issue. It never had it's birth in the desire of the people to be relieved from the task of governing themselves. They were in- geniously fed upon the idea that in- frequent sessions would reduce the amount of business by demonstrating how little legislation was actually needed, would materially decrease the cost of legislating and would raise immeasurably the tone and standard of government in the conn monwealth. What was intended was the removal of the public service cor porations as far as possible from pop. ular oversight, Exactly the same dust. throwing arguments could have beer used had it been proposed to assemble the legislature once in three or once III IOuI ySetAS' OO L1lSL WASn we D6SlI to discuss the advisability of substi tuting some scheme of government for the State of Connecticut which i not now in use we need not bother ourselves with the biennial session al something born of a high and loft. governmental purpose. It was born a we have said of the most selfish mo tive imaginable, Nor does it follow that because no one of the prediction made in advocacy of the biennial ses sion has come true a return t annual sessions will effect an fnstan remedy for prolonged, inefficient an, careless legislation. Our readers vii see from the perusal of some of tn letters which have come to us tha the subject Is a larger one than the supposed it was, for more than one o them shows a grasp of the real evil to be grappled with.
 We said at the time of the adjourn ment of the General Assembly that would not have lived in vain if as