The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-30
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.
4 HOPEFUL INo UTRT.

The Journal and Courier presents to its readers this morning the third installment of letters sent to its editor in response to the general query, What ails the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut? In the syrn- posium are included men of varied occupations and of varied experience. Practically the same conclusions are set forth by the writers as were set forth by those who have figured in the previous letters All admit that there Is something radically weak in our legislative system which must be met and remedied. That of itself jus titles us in the effort we have made to add to the understanding of the citi- Eens of the State with regard to a governmental machine which to be useful must run with accuracy and efficiency.
 A sign fully as hopeful as that re- vealed in these letters from active legislators is the additional sign of in- terest shown by the press of the State. They are being copied every where and commented upon, which Of itself is cumulative testimony that We have hit upon subject of reform which reaches down to the fundamen- tai interest in the social compact, which to be profitable to the contrac- tors must be what Jack London calls ''ahve" The Hartford Courant, the oldest newspaper in the country, con- graduates us upon our "wit and en- terprise," and we appreciate the compliment even though we should not express our purpose in undertak- ing the work in those terms. We have been trying to find out, and have suc- ceeded in doing so, whether 1t was true that the dissatisfaction which appeared to follow the adjournment of the General Assembly was justified by weaknesses in the organization of that body. The State was confronted at it's outset with the fact that in point of individual ability and per- sonal integrity the people seemed to have elected a legislative body of ex- ceeding reliability from which much could with confidence be expected. On the part of the members themselves there was a confident expectation that the session would be short and 80 far as the real needs of the State were concerned effective What hap pened was the longest session in the history of the Connecticut legislature, much demonstrated ineff1ciency on the part of the legislators and widespread dissatisfaction.
 That was, on the one hand, the hope and expectation of all concern ed, and that, on the other hand, was Lllo AuAA4hlHl0hL ehu Illo OASdppuillI- ment To ascertain from the mem bers of the disappointed and disap- pointing body their reasons for the legislative fiasco was what moved us to make personal inquiries of them The replies prove with more or less conclusiveness that the legislature of 1907, with all it's shortcomings in &C., tion and errors of judgment was more sinned against than shining. The inexperience of many of its members was further embarrassed by legisla- tive traditions and ridiculous preced- ents. What they thought was com paratively easy to understand and overcome was continually encounter ing practices which in the adminis- tration of business or the practice of the professions would have wrecked the indulgents. Only those were effi- cient who played the game according to the old rules which have been ip the making for score or more of years, and which have with wicked deliberation and knowledge worked to the detriment of the public at large, while they have prospered every con- ceivable private interest. For one thing, they have put upon the shoul- ders of the travelling public in the way of tribute twenty millions of wa tered stock sold the Consolidated company by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company. For another thing they have stood dehantly in the way of Governor Woodruff intro- ducing business principle in the or ganization of new public service cor porations; he asked that the promo ters should contribute little of their own money to proposed corporations and not take it all out of the innocent investing or travelling public. It would take a page of The Journal and Cour- steer ct least to tell the story of how