Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-02-27
CONNECTICUT ASSEMBLY
DolNGs THE PAST WEEK
Comment on Public Utilities Commis-
sion-Increase in Number of Super
ior Court Judses-Death of the Fri
day Session.
Especial to The Bulletin.)

day Session.
Especial to The Bulletin)
Hartford, Feb. 26.-The announce
ment that the public utilities commits
sion legislation had been put over to
later date and the hearings before
the Judiciary committee which had
been scheduled to begin shortly would
not begin until some indfienite time
when the committee had got most Of
the unimportant matters out of IT'S
way need not have caused much sur
prise. Nor is there in this situation
quite the reason to suspect a niger
in the woodpile that some would like
it to appear. The fact really is that
nobody is ready TO proceed on this
matter. Nobody knows very much
about it as vet.
Members are very free to. confess
their ignorance and while a good many
have begun reading up on the bill and
the other matters contained in the
report of the special commission
which has been studying this subject
since the adjournment of the last leg
islatuFe, there is yet great need of
light on the subject. So that the sup
port which the bill could command at
this state Of the matter would come
almost entirely from the commission
itself and from such representatives
of the state business mems associa-
tions as chose to come to Hartford,
and it is doubtful If the latter would
know very much about the subject be-
yond the fact that they wanted to es-
tablish some sort of a commission to
regulate public service corporations.
Z The General Trend Of Comment.
The general trend Of comment, such
comment as there is at present, is in
dicative of belief that the New Ha-
ven road is not to oppose this meas
ure very strenuously-on the ground,
doubtless, that it Is Of rot ar much
importance whether the railroads of
the state are governed by a railroad
commission or a public utilities com
mission; they have been used to state
control for long enough to have had
the first irksOmeness OF 1t wear off, but
that the other public service corpora
tlons. the telephone and gas and wa
ter companies and so on were going
TO make the hardest fight against any
sort of commission that they could
possibly put up.
However this may be, the POSTPONE
ment of consideration Of the matter at
this time is probably OF more benefit
to the legislators in general and the
peoples interests than to those of the
corporations. For it may be taken as
certain that the corporation attorneys
are already thoroughly posted on the
proposed law and know its weakness
es so much better than the support
ers Of such a law know the strong
points that they wish to bring out
that the latter would be at 9. decided
disadvantage.
Nor has Governor Lilley's special
message Of yesterday made very
much difference in the situation. The
governor didn't say anything in his
message which could be considered
new; it was simply a reiteration Of
his known views on the subject, views
oppressed repeatedly from the stump
last fall, and the request that the leg
islature get busy. which it viii pro-
ceed TO do when It gets to it,
Another Important Matter.
There are more important matters
at hand just now. One is the increase
in the number Of judges of the superb
or court. which passed the senate last
week with flying colors, but hasn't
had the same good fortune in the
house 1t came up in the latter body
In the regular order Of business yes
terday, but was passed, retaining it's
place on the calendar, because Of the
fact that House Leader Burnes didn't
feel quite in the mood for a fight. ard
had been told that there was one TO
be expected.
Just where this opposition is TO
come is puzzle to most if, indeed.
anyone knows. Every lawyer and ey-
eryone else who knows anything about
the judicial situation in this state cor
cedes that we haven't Judges enough
and don't hold courts enough. SO hut
what the wheels of justice are very
much clogged most of the time. II is
true that among the judges themselves
lhere started a movement to have an
increase OF but one in their number
at this session and let the next -o~-
sion add the other but this was quick
ly quashed by legislative leaders who
learned of it at its start
fhe motive for this was that of
economy. for the judicial expenses of
the state are heavy and have increas-
ed largely within a few years. And
there are among the members of the
house those who feel that such econ
omy would be of value and the right
sort, but the need is so PRESSING for
more judges and the saving would be
so small that such members as might
under other circumstances oppose this
measure are generally supposed to be
Wiling to forego this pleasure at this
time. 1t Is also true that trere are
some gentlemen not only IN legisIa-
tive halls, but outside, who greatly
dislike to see Governor Lillev have
tne appointing OF any more judges
or other officials, either for that mat
ter-beside those which naturally fall
to him to appoint in the usual course
Of events. II this measure is openly
opposed when it finally comes up, per-
haps this will have something to do
with it. And possibly the fact that
certain corporations would just as
soon somebody other than George Lii
ley would appoint these two extra
judges may have something to do with
it.
Passing of the Friday Session.
The death of the Friday session in
the legislature was an event of the
week of no small moment. For the
first time in my recollection, which is
of some considerable extent. the Fri
day session has actually and definitely
perished at the hands Of the house.
Usually the subject is dallied with and
the Friday session allowed to die
lingering and thoroughly natural