The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-27
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
 ARE TAXING SHAPE No Radical Liquor Law Reforms Contem-
 plated. A MISUNDERSTOOD BILL Introducing State History Recalled by Recent Mortality Record.
A MISUNDERSTOOD BILL
fsneclal to the conrier.l


 weeks.
 One of these bills, which provides for high license, will be reported adverse ly. The screen law will not be altered. There will not be single radical change in the liquor laws of the State recommended. Senator Hodgklnson of Wallingford and Senator John F. shan ley of New Haven, the senate members of the committee, have taken con- servative course on the excise bills that have come up and have shown sound judgment in determining what legislation should be recommended.
 Substitute for house bill No. 2S1, which came from the railroad commit tee, has met with more misconception than any bill that has been handled through the session. The measure is simple one in itself and was origin ated in the railroad committee for the purpose of relieving Hartford of traf- fic difficulties met with at one of the overhead railroad bridges in the city. It is necessary to widen the bridge in lquestion in order that the congestion in traffic service at the bridge may be removed. The city attorney, Arthur L. Shipman, went before the commit tee for the necessary legislation. The committee evolved from his draft the bill that has created such a commotion in the house.
 The story was started by some of the hangers-on about the lobby, that the bill is in effect a re-enactment of the oli law of twenty years ago, that made the towns in the state liable for half the cost in eliminating grade crossings. Members in the house, have been who'll ly misled by the representations made by the hangers-on in the lobby. The bill has not the slightest reference to the elimination of grade crossings, and has no connection whatever with the law regulating the grade crossing pol Hey of the state. The statute recom- mended by the committee relates sole f ly to highways, which pass over or under railroads, where public safety and necessity require bridge changes to be made. There are numbers of bridges of this kind in the state. AL terations in them would in all cases be for the improvement of the public highways, which are supported and maintained by the towns. The bill provides that in making these changes and alterations the railroad commits sioners shall distribute the cost between the towns and railroads as they shall deem equitable, but in no case shall an amount in excess of one-half of the expense of alteration, including land damages or special damages be assessed upon any town, city or bor- ough. Senator Thompson of the Four teenth district, in an interview concern ing the bill as reported from his com mittee, said, after the adjournment of the senate, Thursday that the meas ure is one of public utility, providing for improved highway. service. In no way, he added, does the bill alter the statutes controlling the elimination of grade crossings. In the house the bill was placed at the foot of the calendar for the scrutiny of the members.
 The mortality of lieutenant-governo has been unprecedented during the last twelve months In that time four have passed away, the list comprising George e.. Skinner, James L. Howard, Samuel F. Merwin and George c. sill. Three of them belonged in Hartford land were residents of the capital when elected. George e. Sumner left an es- tate of s2O0,0O0 and wealth of affection and good will greatly exceeding that sum. The estate left by Lieutenant- Governor Howard was double that of the Sumner inventory money-wise.
 Lieutenant Governor Sill died a poor man, as estates are now counted, but
 he has left memory that cannot be estimated in gold. He was lieutenant governor under Charles R. Ingersoll of New Haven and was subsequently, United States district attorney for Connecticut. The death of ex-Lieu- tenant Governor Sill reduces the num- Der of ex-United States district attor- neys in the state to three. These are ex-Governor George P. Mclean, Lewis E. Stanton of Hartford and Charles w. Comstock of Norwich, chairman of the Democratic state committee. Ex-Dis- trict Attorney Stanton is a Middlesex county man by birth, being a native of Clinton. He graduated from Yale fifty-two years ago and is one of the foremost lawyers In Hartford. He has represented his adopted city in the gen. eral assembly and as lawyer and citi- zen possesses the highest regards of the people. -Lieutenant-Go Governor Sill was also Yale man, graduating three years in advance of MT. Stanton. Not reckoning former Governor Hen ry Roberts and the present chief execu- tive, Governor woodruff. there are on ly three ex-heutenant-gove left in the state, Ernest Cady of Hartford Lyman A. Mills of Middlefleld and Ed win o. Keeler of Norwalk. Ex-Lieu- tenant-Governor Cady was nominated by the Democrats for governor in 1894 and was defeated by Lorrin A. Cooke. The running mate of Governor Cady was Judge Morris B. Beardsley of Bridgeport, who had been a member of the general assembly in 1893, when Governor 14uzon B. Morris of New Ha- ven was in the chief executives chair. Judge Beardsley's legislative career re- suited in his selection as the candidate of his party for governor He would have honored the office in the same way and to the same extent that Leutenant-Gov Sill reflected credit upon it.
 The defeat of Representative Edward Griswold of Guilford in the contest for department commander of the Grand