Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-06
CONNECTICUT. PUBLIC
 UTILITIES COMMISSION.
Still Remains Ness Center of Lsaisls- tive Stage--Taxation Leading Question-The Interstate Legislative Commission.
fspecial to The Bulletin. )

sentative Chandler of Rocky Hill was so desirous of getting through the leg islature has apparently gone by the board. That is to say, the work of arranging for harmonious legislation by the six New England states will he left to the permanent commission. which consists of E, F. Arvine and Talcott H. Russell of New Haven and Walter F. Coe of Stamford, and which was appointed for this very purpose some time since. That is the purpose of the recommitment of the measure cay before yesterday. Chandler fought the thing from his standpoint as long as there was any use in 1t. but the legislatures of Maine and New Hamp- shire will adjourn within very few days and there was little use appoint ing a legislative commission to work with the ether New England states If two of the five would be unable to be worked with.
 Savored Too Much of Junket.
 MT. Dormitzer of Woodbury offered some time since an amendment under which the present commission was urged on to do the work for which it was appointed, and that such urging by the present legislature is not only likely to be salutary. but is in fact W hich hasn't done anything of account yet, has become very plain. But when 1t came to creating another commission from the present legislature to do It's work, whether one called it commit tee or commission, was a duplication and savored too much of junket for the house to take kindly to 1t, espe- cially when proposed by a new man to legislative halls.
 insufficient Harmony of Feeling.
 There is no question of the value of .rrtf 1c~icIoffnra thn OfaQf nupC- uons of the day forest preservation, automobile control, shell fisheries con servation and the like. and the six New England states ought to pull together, but the scheme proposed was hardly like to produce very much of good in this direction. Nor is there sufficient harmony of feeling or even acquaint- anee between New England legislatures to cause one to wait on the movements or give much heed to the notions of another, especially at time when tho Connecticut legislature is about to find out whether the Massachusetts legisla- ture and courts have been minding the ir own business in the matter of the New York. New Haven and Hartford railroad, or Connecticut's.
 The Taxation Question.
 Taxation is a leading question of the day and becoming more and more so every day, with the proposition to in- crease the s6,5G0,O00 bond issue au- thorized by the last legislature to ST. 000, ,00O. to lay a state tax, and Com missioner Cor'bin's bill to tax corpora tions on the market value of their capital stock, or so much of that value as is in excess of the valuation on which the corporations are paying To- cal taxes, before the general assem- bly. There is a good deal of confusion over the first two matters and appar- entity 1t isn't realized yet that one duplicates the other and that If the legislature authorizes the bond issue which State Treasurer Patten is anx ious for it will be providing for the same set of expenses that the state tax will provide for and depriving the state tax of all reason for being drought into existence.
 In other words, the bond issue au- thorized by the last legislature was intended-and after the most careful consideration, dcliberation and exami- nation of every other method of flnanc- ing them-specihcally for the financing of<three extraordinary projects entered upon by the legislature of 1907, the construction of a state system of good roads al cost to the state of $4b00, 00O. the building of a building for the state library and the supreme court at a cost of S15000 0e0, and the building CT a E6B dfIUIIJ dIiu dE5EIldI III at a cost of $500, 600. There was no other thought in connection with the bond issue, just as there was the very plain intent that TO other means should be used to finance these projects.
 The state treasurer. however. has chosen to disregard all of this and has paid the current bills on these extra ordinary projects out of the running revenues of the state-Hith the result that he had to borrow money of Hart ford bankers last fall at considerably higher rates of interest than the 1-2 per cent. the bonds would have carried ana now carries a long face about the caritoI over the deficit which the state faces on account of this. This is all very well. if the legislature wishes to let it go at this. But if the new bond issue. which is increased over the other $500 GOO, and will be issued on some what different basis is authorized, there is no needSfor the state tax, and vice versa.
 Public Utilities.
 The public utilities commission still remains near the center of the stage. Several times recently different menl- bers of both houses have tried to hold up corporation legislation on the ground that the legislature was likely to create a. commission which would handle alssuch matters. They haven't betn successful, though yesterday the Northern Connecticut Light and Power company measure was held mp in the house on another point-after the de- bate had been almost entirely on the bas sis of It's relation to the commission. There appears to be no purbose to either hurry consideration of the pub- lie utilities measure or delay passage of the corporation matters in question and no one has yet brought forth a very good reason why either should be done.
 To te sure, Senator Manwsring stat ed that the republican party was com mitted to the pledge to give the state a public utilities commission. which was the most sensational thing that has been said on the subject thus far. but Senator BlalSeslee questioned whether this was so. He doesn't con- sider that anybody is pledged to any thing of the sort or pledged to any legislation unless he may consider it good. That is about the view the leg islature will likely take of this mat ter It will be carefully considered. but no one intends to be forced or manoeuvred into passing a bill on the subject.
 Pensionr for Teachers.
 The subject Of teachers pensions is