The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-08
LEGISLATIVE NOTES. REPUBLICANS GO SLOW Commissioners in Lobby Conspicuous by Their
 Absence.

5farlIOrup May I-- Ine appOlnJlneuI of county commissioners by the gover- nor is not new idea in itself in Con necitcut. Such appointments have been made a number of times under the statutes. During the dead lock session in 1891 Governor Morgan 6. Bulkeley appointed two commissioners in each of the eight counties, the appointments being valid until the session of 1893, when the legislature of that year was that Governor Bulkeley did not con sider it incumbent upon him to reap point the commissioners in offiee. He went outside and took lup new men when that course suited his purpose. In Hartford county he put Edward w. Dewey of Granby on the board in place of veteran of the civil war, Silas M. Norton of Bristol Commissioner Dew ey has since remained on the board. He will complete his service by resignation June when he will assume the duties l of sheriff of Hartford county In 1885 1 a strong contest was made in Hart ford county against the reappointment of Commissioner Lucius c. Goodrich lof Simsbury. The struggle lasted 1 through the session of the legislature. The caucus could not break the dead 1 lock in any way Commissioner Good rich's packers standing by him through thick and thin. The Hon. Henry B. Harrison of New Haven was governor at the time. After the adjournment of | the general assembly he appointed MT. Goodrich as his own successor on the board, the appointment lasting until the next session Governor Harrison's ap- pointment of MT. Goodrich was consid- cred equitable and fair, being wholly independent of the caucus complica- tions. The Hartford county republican caucus for the nomination of George W. Dewey's successor will be held Wednesday afternoon at o'clock. This will be the last of the county caucuses for this season for the nomination of county commissioners. The publicity that has attended the caucus work this year has made the republicans unusual | " CduLlOuS, bllI llfS .hctNC SOiS dUOu' the work of making the nominations with feeling of responsibility to the public that has not been shown for a good many years. The overhauling which the county commissioners have had this winter, the vigorous attacks or the system of making the appointments and the jostling of old ideas will have good effect In the end.
 One of the most noticeable things o1 the present session has been the ab serce of state commissioners from the capitol corridors. It has not been un' usual in years past to see these com missioners regularly in what is called the lobby of the house. The railroad commissioners have not been sinners IT this respect above all others, for they have had plenty of company from the less influential departments in the cap. itol. The adjutant generals office has , been the least obtrusive of all the de partments in this standardization ant its example could have been copied witt great advantage. The appointment o
 chairman of the republican state cen. tral committee to ommissionerships 1T the capitol, which has been in vogue fol years, has been bad in its effect, bring. } ing these commissions into close alli
 ance with party politics At the pres
 ent time two members of the railroad commission, O. R. Fyler and Andrew F. Gates, have held the chairmanshir of the state central committee. They have deserved well of the republican party. But the difficulty with them ha; been the failure to divorce politics iron railroad interests after becoming com. missioners. Much of this has beer changed this winter and more change: will be effected in future.
 The commission on uniformity of city charters has wholly disagreed and wil offer no bill for legislative considera. tion. This disagreement was foreshad. owed in this correspondence weeks ago There was no common basis for actior by the commission and no tears have been shed because the members failed to get together. Mayor Charles F Thayer gave the whole project black
 eye when at the first meeting of tht commission in Hartford he proposed that adjournment without date should be ordered That would have saved z world of trouble.
 Two years ago the city of New Brit
 ain received a brand new charter Senator William E. Atwood of tha
 city spent weeks in perfecting and se curing the passage of the charter tbl the general assembly. The city of New Britain is now almost hopelessly divid ed over amending the perfect work of two years ago. All this goes t(