Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-13
Especial to The Bullstin.)

h. which new business may be intro
duced in the state legislature Is at an
end, IL is plain that the number OF
measures which the states legislators
have before them is considerably less
than was the case two years ago, When
numerically all records were broken.
There are fully as many bills for pub
lie acts In hand this time, but the res
otutions and petitions fall far behind.
At a guess, probably the number OF
measures put in in both houses this
time will not total three-cuarters OF
the something like 1000 OF 1907. There
are far less trolley measures. for one
thing, and little or no general rail-
road legislation, a rare thing with
Connecticut legislatures of late years.
Long Session Predicted.
At the same time. there are large
number Of measures which are OF far
reaching Importance and while doupt-
less the majority Of these have not the
necessary influence and push behind
them TO make them formidable. there
are enough which win receive serious
constellation to occupy the time OF the
general assembly we'll into the sum-
mer. II Is freely predicted by the old
timers that this session will not fall
far short OF the length of the record
session Of 1907, which adjourned on
the first day Of August. If that is
the case, il is quite within the pos
sibilities that annual sessions Of linz
ited duration may receive serious at
tention,
Annual Sessions Limited to Three
Months.
There has been introduced a bill
providing for annual sessions -mited
TO three months. and the purpose of its
supporters is TO have the legislature
meet every day in the week during
those three months and finish up the
business in good order. This propo-
sitlon has not the support OF any Of
the prominent state leaders as yet, but
81 VIII be hard TO Justify to the people
or Connecticut another legislative ses-
slcn lasting til after midsummer Two
amendments to the rules, one to the
house rules, 4 another to the joint
Trles have 9 caring on this question,
but the former would hardly tend to
hasten business II provides that no
member may move the previous ques-
tion Al the close OF his own remarks.
practice Which has come TO be looked
upou as almost the prorogntive Of the
memoer leading the debate for the
Affirmative and al times OF the house
floor leader
Throwing Away Limit fer New Bus
mess.
The load strikes at the root of
much difficulty in cur sessions by per-
hitting committees to refrain from
making unfavOrable reports unless
called fer by the proponent of the
measure. This would permit d COM
mittee to retain measure until IN
was ready to report 1t and to simply
pigeJnho!e great variety Of mease
ures which there is no use for. It
would not as proposed this time de-
prive member Introducing q bin OF
. committee Tearing OH the matter
however. The proposition comes IN
Tor the tIiid consecutive session. and
there seems no. more chance OF the
two houses taking kindly to it this
time than formerly. 1t would help
some. 10 DOUBT. but it strikes at the
T1ot u our legislative procedure and
would have to lead TO throwing away
a limit for new business entirely and
Bermitting members to introduce new
business al any time, IS most legisla-
tive bodies IN this country do. and.
hTlenN revolutionizing our whole
method.
Measures Too Novel for Passage Now.
There seem to be less freak measures
before this Legislature than usual and
perhaps more that have real merit.
though not a few are too novel for
passagTat this time One Of these ia
o sAAfpADN IOI FllC SLeIlllEIIiOn OF
criminals, which is in practice in In
diana and found to work exceUently.
The IDEA Is TO prevent criminals. in
sane and detectives from passing their
characteristics on TO another genera
non. II IL certain that We have reach
ed point where We must adopt some
preventive measure to protect our
selves against q. constantly increasing
financial drain, to say nothing Of other
evil results because of the presence
OF these classes In such alarmingly in
creasing numbers. The supporters OF
the bill doubt II Connecticut is edu-
Gated up TO the point OF adopting it
yet. though the authorities In our state
institutions favor something OF the
kind.
State Farm for lnebriates.
In this same general assembly have
been introduced measures providing
for commission to study the whole
question OF insanity, a commission on
inebriates and one to investigate i'm
migration Of aliens into this state and
the conditions surrounding their life
here. not to speak Of the bin to pro-
vide q state farm Tor inebriates and
large appropriations for both state
hospitals for the insane and for the
other state charitable and eleemosyna.-
~ institutions. Another hearing is TO
be given on the bill mentioned i'm the
otner paragraph, and 10 little interest
In the subject is being worked up.
Multiplicity Of Commissions.
There is a Multiplicity Of commits
sions provided for in the new business,
among them being the public utilities
commission, a commission to purchase
lands along the Connecticut river for
state PARK, one on uniform city char
ters and commission to inquire into
a recent purchase Of land by the city
OF New Haven in which the news
papers insist there is graft concealed.
Then there are numerous single headed
commissions proposed, on optometry,
pharmacy plumbing, public account
ants. public records and public ac-
counts. among others, to say nothing
Of a change 10 4 single headed COM
mission on fish and game.
New Method Of Spending State Money
The commission 70 purchase lands
on the Connecticut brings forward a
new method OF spending the money of
the stste, a new show Of paternalism.
Connecticut has already state reserva-
tions, but In each case they have come
into existence because there is his
torlcal significance attached 10 the
spot and the sentiment It created has
been strong enough TO warrant their
purchase. There Is stiII another prop
oyition for state park reservation
which, in the abstract, Is admirable.
~ all events, IT VIII produce a fight,
which u what the corregp0ndents