The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-24
ABOUT PROBATE DISTRICTS
A Correspondent Condemns Our Whole Present System

Present System
 To the Edit or of The Courant:-
 There are two things the people of Connecticut should set themselves to do-pass a constitutional amendment compelling the General Assembly to rise April of each session and en- act a law consolidating the little town probate districts within county lines so that every district should comprise a county. There are 11z probate dis tricts in Connecticut, a state of 90S,- APO inhabitants (ceasus of 1s0o) A few of these comprise several towns Hartford, which includes Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Newington. Rocky d1ll. Windsor Locks; New Haven which has also East Haven, Hamden, North Ha- ven, Orange and Woodbridge, Bridge port which includes Easton, Monroe, and Trumbull; and Norwich, which has Franklin, Griswold, Lisbon, Pres ton, Sprague and Voluntown. There are also a few two town districts; but all the rest are one town dlstrlcts-SS in all. Some are so small Tn popula-i ton that one can but wonder what judge of probate finds to do. For in stance, Bozrah, with 799 inhabitants, Is d probate district, so is Lyme With 75o. Hebron with LOIS. @ @Canteroury 1Ey and so on ad infnitum. The serious loss and inconvenience of this sysz tenn can best be shown by detailing Its actual working. Take for instance lawyer in New. York who wishes to search title in the probate court at Bedding. in Fairfield county. 0n finds himself four miles from the pro- bate office which is in Bedding Gen. ter-and no convenience. He may be able to hire a turnout of some farmer and drive out to the center, where if so fortunate as to find the judge at home, he performs his mission But suppose next he wishes to search the records of Newtown the adjoining town on the east and nine miles dis tant He must drive to NeWtoWn over the hills, and then it may be ne- cessary to search the records of Brook, field, the next. town on the north, nine miles distant. Unless he can catch one of the infrequent trains he must drive thither also; whereas 1T the records of Bedding, Newtown and Brookfield had all been lodged in Dan bury, the county seat, he. could have gone on to lDanbury by rail and con- suited all three there.
 Again, the records in these small towns are not suitably protected from fire or thieves. Few small towns can afford a freproof vault; wherefore they are usually kept in the dwelling boards, boxes or under the bed. Along comes fire and all goes up In smoke together.
 Again, the character and calfbre of the 1uQGeS m IneSS SIl<1ll 0tolIiSeS is often not what it should be. Form erly the judge was a scion of one of the old families, often college bred, took the office from his father. held it during life and handed 1t down to his son, and was the judicial mentor, guide and father of his townsmen. Now he is more likely to be a third rate politician, sometimes foreign born who is given the office as a reward for party services-buying votes. packing ofn-qrd who 1t first. to get all out of it he can, and second to distress and despon his political favorities. When one reflects on the almost unlimited power this officer has over the persons and property of the people of his district the evils of the system are the more apparent. He has far too much power He IS the almoner of the estates of the dead He appoints an administrator on the estate of those who die intestate, fix. es the widows allowance. names ap- praisers, can order cherished ne1r- looms and family pictures sold to pay debts, even though there may be ann ple money and bonds for the purpose can keep the estate in his court un-
 settled a. year or more TOT ms own gain. and finally appoint men to dis tribute it to the heirs.
 | Again in the case of property left to persons for life only. he fixes the
 amount of the surety bond they shall
 give, or, if they do not give one, aDDOlnIS a trustee TUT tuc luIf0, dS " trust funds these men have gone to the Legislature and had such restric- tions placed on. their care and invest ment that what with the probate Judges fees, the trustees fees and mil cage and the fees of the surety com pany which gives the bond, very lit tie is left for the beneficiaries. Of course an appeal from his ruling may be taken to higher court but that means continued litigation, court fees. lawyers fees, trouble publicity. Last, but not least with the con- nivance of two physicians he can seize any person and commit him to the insane asylum-which explains perhaps why every few years we have to build new hospital for the h- sane.
 But suppose the couEty was made the probate district as Is the case in New York and nearly every other state. Then suitable fireproof vaults would be provided for the records, a lawyer trained in the law, of unim- peachable integrity like some now on the bench in our cities could be elect ed judges, his office put on salaried basis and the evils and inconveniences of the present system be abolished.
 Very truly yours, / tfr Common Sense. The H1ls. Bethel. July p. 1909.
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