Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-04-17
PUBLIC UTILITIES MEASURE,
ANTI-TUBERcULOSIS BILL.
State Capitol Gossip on These and
Other Important Subjects.
Especial to The Bulletin.)

Hartford. April 16.-The unfavorable
report of the judiciary committee on
the public utilities commission meas
ure yesterday was the beginning of
the end of this matter. There is very
little sentiment in favor of the bill on
the part of members of the committee
and less on the part of the house. Not
only that, but the committee as a
whole thinks so little of the principle
back of the thing as not to care to
send in any kind of a substitute, and
will make no recommendations along
this line when 1t comes up in the house
as the order OF the day next Wednes-
day.
Jud,;e Malone of the committee does
favor public utilities commission, and
he is the only member who Is really
in favor Of a commission of this kind
at this ne. He objects to some Of
the features Of the present bill and
offered in committee amendments which
he wCud like to see Incorporated in it
previous to a favorable report-and of
course these were voted down. Other
mcyGbers OF the committee pretend
thar taey would favor the measure if
it. was differently drawn, but this is
only Il huff. and the best evidence Of
that is in the fact that they don't make
any effort to have a substitute correct
ed according to their ideas reported.
Would ike to See 1t Killed off Finally
and DecisiveIy.
There las been more or less talk of
q stock and bond bill, but this would
have either to be reported as a sub
stituta for the bill introduced at the
Instance of the public utilities cOH-
mission appointed by the last legisla-
turG or IS a new committee measure
for comm tees have the right to oSig
IauieIa fin11--hFrt f6arp iG lftT1a
likelihood that anything Of the kind
VIII make its appearance. What l
mean by a stock and bond bill is one
W kich would do away with the evil of
watering securities by general provi-
sions governing the subject
The opponents of the public utilities
commission bill however do not de-
sire any temporizing with the subject
at all, but wish to see it killed off
finally and decisively. That will end
the whole subject for this season, and
if II comes up again two years from
now it can be dealt with then as the
conditions seem to make proper. The
opponents, however. believe that by
next session the agitation over public
utilities commission will Rave subsided
to the extent that there will be little
or no demand for this kind of legisla-
tion. Some attention has been paid to
the fact that the New Jersey legisla-
ture has decided not to go further with
the subject, and after spending three
or four months on the subject will pass
no bill at all concerning It.
There is some feeling that possibly
the temporary commission, which con-
sists Of Attorney General Holcomb.
Comptroller Bradstreet ex-Attorney
General Phelps Of Rockville and p. Fl.
Woodward Of Hartford, ex-Railroad
Commissioner Wilcox having recently
died. reported the measure which 1t did
report with a purpose in mind; name
the house-feature by which all spe-
cial charters are taken away from the
legislature the main feature of the
bill, and thus handicapplng it unto the
point of final defeat at the outset.
Whether this is so or not, II is a fact
that none Of the commission has ap-
peared IN favor Of the bill, and that
only the secretary of the commission,
Mr.. Wells. has supported it.
Gov. LilIey's Absence a Handicap.
Governor Lillev's absence makes
quite some difference in the situation.
and there will doubtless be an effort
next week to hold up the matter until
II can be determined whether Or not
he will be able to take any active part
in the discussion of It before the end
of the session. While this effort will
be a hard one to fight, it will be fought
if it is made, and vigorously. 1t will
be said that the session will be srfi-
ciently prolonged without any such un-
necessary delay. At the same time
determined effort to hold the matter
up would be apt to succeed, though the
strong gest push that Governor Tillev
could give the bill would not send it
through the house-and the senate
would kill it If it did.
The argument that the state has
commissions enough and that no more
should be created to caise increased
expense has been very potent this ses-
sion, and this is apt to be sufficient to
kin the measure. SO far as talking ar
guments are needed. though the rallv-
ing to the defense of the small towns
prerogatives is really its nemesis.
Motor Vehicle Commission.
Whether or not this argument will
be sufficiently potent to kill off the
measure creating a commissioner Of
motor vehicles, to have charge of the
registration of these vehicles and of
the enforcement Of the laws regarding
their use, remains to be seen. It ought
not to. Surely it is manifest on the
face of the matter that the proper en-
forcement of the laws regarding the
speed and proper use of automobiles
cannot be left to local police or those
governing their registration, or to
clerks in the office of the secretary of
state. as is the case at present. and
have the laws reach their full pur-
pose.
Local police are interested in little
besides the arrest of drunks and those
who break the peace and to make the
story short, there is and has been for
some time a crying need for an Off
cial who would have nothing to do but
look after the general subject of auto
mobiles in this state, their registration
and use. There are being run now
unregistered machines; that is to say.
machines which 9nave been registered
in former years and the owners of
which have not registered them for
year or two. This is something of a
statement to make, but those most fa-
miliar with the subject insist on it's
truth
The whole subject is one which oc-
cupes much OF the attention of every
legislature, and has for ten or a dozen
years. and concerning which there is
considerable Of law on the books and
going there The laws are special laws
which need some special force TO care
for their enforcement. but the lagisla-