Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-07
JUDGE MATHEWSON CRlTlcISES
 STATES COUNTY SYSTEM. Well Known New Haven Man Is Out Against Time Honored Mode.


 Against Time Honored Mode.
 Judge A. Mcclellan Mathewson of New Haven has issued the following statement in regard to the county system of the state:
 The County System.
 While I contend that during the political campaign criticism of the in- dividual members of the county com- mission was justiflable, now that new legislation is sought, only criticism or the system itself should be indulged in; and for this reason the history oI the system will certainly be helpful in reaching conclusions.
 History of the County System.
 While the counties of Connecticut were organized in 1866, the first men tion made of the county commission CTS is in the law which was passed In 1888, and by that law the two county commissioners became partial assist ants of the judge of the county court and upon them devolved certain duties which had hitherto been exercised by the judge of the county court. It is interesting to note in this connection that by a law passed in 1S41 the coun- ty commissioners could license the keeper of the jail as an innkeeper, a place that would not now probably be attractive to the travelling public.
 From this time the law remained stationary until in 1854 the commits sioners were empowered to license people within their county to manu- facture and sell intoxicating. liquors, but no one but manufacturer could sell. and this was under restriction By this same act the selectmen were authorized to appoint town agents to sell liquors for certain designated pur- poses.
 No important changes were made in this law until 1872. when the founda- tion of our present license law was passed, including the local option clause and the repeal of the town agent provision By this law the coun- ty commission was authorized to li- cense suitable persons, but only on the recommendation of the selectmen, and this recommendation was necessary until the law of 1882, when the com- mission was given full power to exer- else its own discretion.
 The prosecuting agent was first pro- vided for by the law of 1874.
 
 was made in a law of 1882, when the town clerk was authorized to advertise and this continued in force until 1897 when this power was placed in the hands of the county commission.
 No restriction was placed upon the number of licenses which should be granted in any town until the law o1 1909, limiting the number to one fol each 500 inhabitants of the town.
 The county commissioners have three main functions, which must be considered in deciding whether theil services can be wisely dispensed with and all the minor duties which have been cast upon them by the statutes can easily be transferred to state of. ficials.
 The three principal branches of worE performed by the commissioners car be grouped under| First, care o. county property: second, duties con- nected with the jail and county homes; third, excise.
 Care of County Property.
 This includes the property owned by the county and used for jails, cour houses and county homes. All of these institutions are run with money ad. vanced by the state and why the statt should pay over its money to thu county commission, which is resnonsi. ble to no state authority, is hard t( conceive.
 To begin with, I am confident tha no one would attempt seriously to de. fend the present jail system of thi! state. Our jails have been condemned by criminologists and every one wh( is interested in the subject agree! that these institutions should be un der the control of the state which to- day supports them. In this way W, would be certain of the appointment O. trained men to take charge of our jaill instead of relying upon the politica caucuses which must necessarily nom mate man who is popular with thu electors irrespective of his trainino O. his desire to look out for the welfar, of the unfortunates under his con trol
 While for about 200 years our coun ty courts were of the greatest i'm portance, these strictly county court were abolished in 1855 and since -thel we have had nothing but state courts which are entirely supported by direc appropriation from the state. Why then, should the county provide tn building in which the state holds it courts? All of these buildings shoult be taken over by the state under cer tain arrangements with the counties
 Why the county homes should not b. entirely under the control of the stat which supports them is another enig ma of our political situation.
 Concerning Duties. Nothing could condemn the iail sys tenn more effectively than the dutie which are cast upon tn county com missioners in connection with the iai and dividing of the responsibility be tween the sheriff, the jaiier and tn commission Neither the training no the necessary qualities of the commis sion fit them for the responsibilitie cast upon them, and past experienc proves that they invariably complicat an already bad situation. If we are t continue the present county jail eithe the commissioners or the sheriff shoul have the sole responsibility. The part nership between the county commits sion and the state authorities work the same havoc and divided responsi bility at the county home.
 Excise.
 As we have seen by the history O the system, the commissioners hay been granting licenses since 1872 upol the recommendation of the selectmer and since 1882 on their own judgment These licenses are granted only il towns which have voted in favor of tn sale of intoxicating licuors, and 1t ha always been my conviction that eithe the mayor of the city or the select men of the town should appoint tn excise commissioners, who shoul grant the license in that town, and il that way the town would know wh to hold responsible for condition urh fN4