Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-19
UNUSUAL PROPOSITION
 UP TO LEGISLATURE.
Gossip on Giving Life Tenure to Two Elective offices-Annual Sessions Special Committee on Public UtiIi- ties is Still in Existence.
(special to The Bulletin.l }

l ties Is Stii m Existence.
 Special to The Bulletin.)
 | Hartford, July 16.-New Haven sends
 many queer things for the general as- l sembly of the state to fuss over, nut
 never was a more unusual proposition put up to the states lawmakers than that of taking out of politics entirely two elective offices and giving their l present occupants life tenure. In plain
 language this is. mere reversion to monarchy, for the vital principle of a
 republican form of government is the choice of men to carry on public af- fairs by their fellows, while the vital principle of a monarchical form of government is life tenure of office. The two officials who are to be thus honored are the city comptroller and the recorder of deeds, who in plain United States is the town clerk of New Haven. The former is democrat and the latter a republican. The whole
 scheme is mere political trade and engineered by the New Haven republi- cans to reward a man who has borne the heat and burden of the political. and party, day-and has always been well paid for it. To take an appointive office out of politics by giving the oc- cupant tenure during. good behavior is. sometimes wise and oftener a doubtful
 business, but to take an elective office
 away from the people is a complete
 subversion> of the first principles of
 our form of government and contrary
 to the spirit in which a democracy is.
 conceived
 To New Haven the proposition
 doubtless seems all right; they get odd
 twists down there; but the chances are
 that the house will refuse to take the
 same action on these bills as hassbeen
 taken by the senate, and it is very
 likely that the senate wouldn't take
 this action after it has had a little
 time in which to think over the mat
 ter, for senators expressed themselves
 as doubtful about the propriety of it
 within fifteen minutes after passing the
 bills. If the house does pass these
 bills Governor Weeks should veto them
 in order that such precedent shall
 not be established in Connecticut There'd be nothing under heaven to
 prevent applying it right on up through
 all the offices to governor of the state and president of the United States.
 Certainly nothing that is friendly to the Southern New England Telephone company can get through the house, and anything that will curb that con cern a bit has an easy time, and just as certainly is the opposite true of thes senate. The house refused to make the company's bonds legal investments for savings banks, and the senate dis agreed; the house retuired the com pany to build a pole line three quarters of a mile to the residence of a would be subscriber; the house established the IS cent night rate after 8 o'clock, instead of after 10, as at present. and the senate turned this down-by a close vote. The house has insisted on it's action in each case and committees of conference have been appointed in two. annar6nflV Q Tay gn t<. be allowed to go by default. The sem ate conferee on the Carey bill conce--s- ing extensions was Senator Blakeslee and he has reported that there is no hope of compromise with the South 1ngton member and the senate has in- sisted in turning down the bill on his motion. Doubtless this may be the re- suit in the night rates matter. At the same time it is reasonable to suppose that the Southern New England might make some effort to improve it's ser vice between now and the next legis- lative session
 Chandler's effort for an annual ses- sion, as shown by his resolution pro- viding for annual sessions and biennial elections beginnin~ with the 1911 leg was put in simply that this matter might be thrashed out somewhat-is a praiseworthy thing. Connecticut is unquestionably coming to annual sessions,Sa and it seems to me that the sooner the better. A limited annual session-and they should be limited to less than Chandler's limit of May 15; three months or 100 days or even April 15 for final adjournment would be -better-would cost the state little or nothing more than do the present draggy, ,interminable sessions. when 1t is impossible to get a quorum more than three days a week
 Members should be compelled to at tend the sessions at least five days a week and transportation should be limited in amount and absolutely cut | off by statute after the limit fixed for final adjournment of the session. It would be necessary, too to give com m1ttees the right to- pigeonhole or else 10 hold hearings on a measure onfy ar- ter the request of the introducer made within certain time after it's intro dqction or something of the sort, and | these arrangements could be so fixed as to protect everybody's rights and all courtesy with perfect ease
 The result would be a closely knit session rznd business well done; mem bers ~ould get their eye teeth much | nearer breaking through the gums. | anyway, during the first session and be | able to be of some value to their towns | Tn the second; and the states inter- | ests would be much better served | Conditions of our highly developed civ | llization are constantly changing and | much more so today than formerly. | the more highly developed we get and | In state like Connecticut, small in | acreage and proportionate population. ] but mighty fin every other way and | vastly important to herself and the | world-the annual session is a simple | necessity. The '05 legislature adjourn i ed July 19, that of '07 Aug. 1. and this one will adjourn about Aug. Is: this | alone Is reason enough. but there is | the additional reason that Organization | of the house such as prevailed eight | and ten years ago Is probably impossi- | ble of attainment ever again-and | without it nobody knows when ad- | Journment of any legislature can come. |
 The special committee on public ! utilities? Yes, there is one still | Mighty still, in fact. It has got into | a fine mess between bill drafted by its sub committee and known as the Hayes bill, which might be termed a | sort of cross between conservativeIv radical and radically conservative and | a really conservative measure thai | conserves. So much so that a draft | of the latter given out for publicationI by the conservatives was held up from by the radicals Can you | beat that? Oh, it'll report some time. | But wait till the amendments 10 if be | gin to come In the house.