The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-28
STATE FIREMEN
 NAME REDMOND
Assistant Chief of New Haven Department Now Heads the
 State Organization
GOVERNOR BALDWIN TALKS
Urges Amendment of Constitution to Make Legislatures Session
 Shorter.


 convention of the State Firemens as- l ficerS were elected:
 President, Assistant Chief P. J.. Redmond, New Haven; first vice-pres- ident, John R. Milne, Norwalk; secre- tary, Robert V. Magee, Watertown; treasurer, Samuel c. Stagg, Water bury; chaplain, Rev. Nelson P. Carey, rector of Madison Avenue Episcopal church, New York city; county vice. Windor Locks; New Haven, A. C.. Bailey, Highwood; New London, L. L.. Park, Noank; Fairfield. M. J. Daley, 1 Bridgeport: Windhan, w. F. Wood ward, Danielson: Litchfield, G.. c. | Hosford; Middlesex, G. s. Pitt, Mid
 dletown; Holland, C. H. Scholl, Rock 1 vile.
 | At the conclusion of the afternoon l proceedings, Rev. M. Carey conducted | at Christ church the annual memorial | services.
 | Following the memorial service, the | firemen to the number of $50 Or more 1 sat down to the annual banquet. The | guest of honor was Governor Baldwin, | and the occasion was the more not | able as it was the first time that a Governor of the State had been pres | ent at one of these gatherings. For 1 mer Mayor w. F. Henney was toast master.
 Governor Baldwin said: I am glad | to meet so many men who have been ] and are identified with the public ser vice. am not going to talk civil commonplaces to you. There is a I public question to which want to call your attention.
 There is just one thing am full of tonight. It is the constitutional
 amendment to shorten the session of our legislature forever, hereafter. | l felt yesterday afternoon when the
 General Assembly of 1911 adjourned 1 for good, like Sinbad the Sailor, when | he got rid of the Old Man of, the Sea l who had fastened upon his back. Here has the Legislature of Connec- ticut been sitting day after day from | the beginning of January to the end | of September-almost to October, to 1 do what they could have done better 1 in three months.
 But give them credit for one good | thing. They passed, by two-thirds vote, an amendment to the constitu- | tion providing that-whatever they
 ture should sit longer than five l months. Now it is up to you, and the rest l of the people to say whether that
 amendment shall be ratified next week l at our town elections.
 | | it. A vote fore eit is a vote for good government, for public economy, for l common sense -e,
 l A Connecticut Legislature that sits | more than five months wastes the
 time and energy and money of the l whole state.
 | The longer it sits, the apter it be- comes to hurry things through with | no proper consideration. The rules
 require all bills to be printed and calendared before they are consider l ed. Towards the end of the session,
 the temptation gets strong to suspend | the rules, and pass anything that any l body proposes and shouts for. This | temptation gets stronger with every | month that passes by. The longer the session, the more business will accum- | ulate, regularly and irregularly, and the more it accumulates, the less at | tention will each measure get. 1 Don't flatter yourselves that if you | do not take the trouble to go to the polls next week, enough others will Enough may turn out to vote it down. 1 These are some who are opposed 1 to it:
 1 The lobby. It cuts off part Of 1 their job.
 l The small politicians. It lessens | the importance of their trade. l The employees of each house.
 They get high pay and like long ses-
 sions. The longer they are, the better 1 the chances for gratuities to the en- l ployes, as snug additions to the end. | Your business is to put out fires l because they waste property Here is 1 something else that wastes, and wastes everybody's money, and every body's time. Do not fail gentlemen, 1 to turn out next week and help to | stop it by voting ''yes'' on this con- stitutional amendment.
 I congrat tulate you that you, in your | association, do your business without | waste.
 | You are in partnership with the l state-she is the silent partner and you the active ones. She supplies the l capital $11Oo0 a year. You spend it when it is needed and are the ones 1 to settle where it is needed. l have heard no complaints from anybody of the way you do this bus l mess. congratulate you on that. I 1 hear complaints enough of some of l those who are professedly working l for the state, and really working for | themselves, or for their party, but none against you.
 l You have a delicate duty to per- l form, in picking out the pensioners, | to be helped with this state money. l The state has put entire trust in your | judgment, and honor in this matter l and tonight, as her chief magistrate. | I bear you her thanks for doing your l duty well. No man. anywhere Or in l anything, can do better than that. POINTS OF INTEREST