The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-14


 Connecticut Legislature.
 There are many other steps and
 side steps connected with this legisla-
 tive procedure, as to which have
 not the time to go into. There are a
 great many ways in which the pres-
 ent system can be improved and sim
 pli6ed, and waste of time and mon-
 ey prevented, for time is money with
 the Connecticut Legislature, and every
 days session means a great expense
 to the State. Grad dually, however
 these faults are being remedied. One
 of these faults has already been cor
 rected by the constitutional amend
 ment which was adopted by the vote
 of the people of this state at the last
 election, providing that hereafter the
 Connecticut Legislature shall end on
 the 1st day of June, this will pre-
 vent such long drawn out sessions as
 that of 1911. One of the largest of
 the mill stones around the neck of
 the Connecticut Legislature is the
 great raft Of private matters with
 which it has to deal under our exist ing laws.
 The Legislature should, I believe, conf1ne it's attention as nearly as pos sible to the enacting and discussion of general laws. Such matters as re- storing forfeited rights. the charter ing of bank and trust companies or of the corporations that cannot be in- corporated under the general laws, or the amending of charters already granted to such companies, or extend ing the time of charters already in ex-
 istence. the amending of charters of cities, bills permitting cities and towns to issue bonds for certain purposes, and the appointing of local City Court
 Judges. and the granting or rejecting of claims presented against the State, and even fish and game laws which affect only a certain lake or locality. Matters that are purely private and local in their nature. I presume at two-thirds of these mat+e-s with which the General Assembly has to deal are of this nature and of no interest what soever to the state in general, outside of a particular locality affected by the act
 The special laws passed last session numbered 5A4 as against 29S general statutes, but apparently the session of 1893 has this record beaten, as the pri- vate acts for that year numbered TAP. Most of these -ters could more carefully and inteligently and expedt- tiously be attended to by other branches of the state government. For instance, the restoration of for feited rights might properly be con ferred upon the judges of the Superior Court. All matters pertaining to the banks and trust companies might be conferred upon the banking commits which cannot properly be incorporat- ed under the general incorpora ting act upon the public utilities commission.
 Matters pertaining to the appoint iHGnI or N-IIy SOuTI JuOSoS InlSnI pTOp- erly be placed in the hands of the gov ernor or left for each locality to chose at their regular election. Claims against the state might properly be re- ferred to some other properly cons l. tuted authority which could carefully investigate and look into them. The amending Of charters of cities and bills providing for the issuance of bonds might more properly be left to the vote of the locality desiring the 1 of the bond issue. In his way the pulling and hauling which | now goes on among the members of .heSe matters and especially of re- | cent years as to the appointment of | Cfty Court judges would be done away | with, and a great saving in money 1 made to the state and allow more 1 lime for the consideration of more inn | oortant and general matters.
 To illustrate the absurdity Of the | present system and sometimes the in 'tance of the City of Hartford which | lnder its charter could not sprinkle it's | streets with oil and was ob iged to ob- | ain permission to do so from the last | CT amended. The City Of Waterbury | II order to regulate traffic upon it's | streets was obliged to go to the Gen | ,ral Assembly and have its charter | lmended. The only persons interest | d in these amendments were the rep | ives and Senators from those | wo cities. A company Of artillery of | he Connecticut National Guard. .wffi' @ l aving a field day and desirous of av- ng a suitabe e target selected thct l rusty steed of a citizen of one of the | owns in the state to act for such pur- | pose, and their markmanship was ap- ,arently good for the horse was rid He'd with bullets and it was demon- trated to the natives that Sherman vas right in his definition of war, the itizen petitioned the General Assem- l,f f1- oss of the horse and it was gra nted without any investigation as to the -alue Of the steed.
 The City of Bridgeport applied for he permission to issue bonds for sev- ral different purposes and 1t lay with n the power of the General Assembly O grant that permission without the | itizens of Bridgeport having any say representatives whose opinions could ave been over-ru ed by the opiniors f the representatives of the other own and cities in the state.
 If instead of taking up a month 1ereIy for the purposes of introducing ills and resolutions if it were re- uired by law that all bills and res lutions should be filed with the Secre- ary of State on or before the opering f the Legislature, so that at the time he Legislature convened it's commit aes might at once proceed to cons dor hese bi-ls and report back to the IeneraI Assembly, and if a time were mited within which each commit aa should report back all bills before , and if not so reported back within he time limited the House could at nee proceed to consider them matters -ould be more thoroughly considered nd it would result in better and lore careful legislation.
 And now in closing let me urge that ou as members of the Business Mems l ssociation continue your interest and ( ctivity in public matters as you did r the instance of the Public Utility ill The existence of this bill upon c UT statute books Is due entire'y to i 1e activity of the Business Mems ! ssociatinns in this state, and it has \ justified its existence. f There are other problems which ( ust be solved by future Legisla tu~es. $ nd you should study these questions V s they arise and use your efforts to I -ocure proper legislation as to them, 1 c ,remost among the present problems I