Norwich bulletin., 1913-04-18
For
 Trunk Highways
HEARING HELD ON PROPOSED
 BOND ISSUE.
AUTOIsTs URGE BILL
ProEracted Hearing on Bill to Stop Contract Labor at State Prison Busy Day at Capitol.

Hartford Conn. April 1.-The gen. 1 era1 assembly accomplished more to- day than on any other day this ses- l sion, both in reception and disposal of committee reports and in taking mat 1 ters from the calendar and passing 1 them. In the house beginning at 10.30 and sitting until the early afternoon approximately one hundred committee reports were received, and thirty-si measures passed from the calendar. In the senate equally close attention was 1 given to work and only the needed at tendance of members at committee hearings compelled an adjournment af- ter\a non-Quorum had been disclosed. To Avoid Friday Sessions. The activity was induced by the de- sire of those members who are oppos- ing Friday sessions to demonstrate that three days week with after noon sessions will be sufficient. The proposed general banking law. a subject which has been debated for two sessions on practically the same bill, was taken up in the senate when Sen- ator Hooker made a speech of some length upon it. Discussion will be re- sumed next week. The Sunday bills are to be taken up next week in ad- dition to the direct primaries bill
 $5,00oo0O for Trunk Highways.
 In the house chamber this afternoon the automobilists and associations were heard on the bill which calls for s5,- 000.000 bond issue for building trunk highways across the state on the routes recommended by the good roads as sociatiop. The roads, bridges and riv- CTS committee also had before it all the bills calling for money for high way commissioners office. Commits sioner Bennett was present and not only met scores of members of auto mobile associations but was able to judge of the good roads sentiment in the state. c. Marcy Robinson of New Haven conducted the proponents side s3T@T ar speaker from all parts of the state urged the bill as in the interest of the state.
 Contract Labor in State Prison.
 The committee on state prison re- sumed its hearing on bills to stop con- tract labor in the state prison. At the previous hearing an attack had been made on the contract system now in force and the prison directors had ask ed that suggestions be made for some thing to Eupersede the system which would not only keep convicts employed but would contribute to their health and well being Professor W, c. Fish CT had asked the directors if bids for prison labor had been given publicity and he had been assured that he would be given information on that point
 Professor Fisher claimed the people of the state had the right to know what goes on at the prison in relation to prison labor. He said that one kind of publicity comes from constantly pressing those who have the tnfor- nation but that is not the kind the public wants. He said he protested against the inference that the matter of contracts was the directors bus mess and not the pub1ics. He wanted the information asked for. He asked the directors to make good the prom ise they made to furnish it.
 Law Does Not Require Advertising.
 Senator J. A. Johnson asked Mr Fisher if it was not so that the law did not require the advertising of con- tracts and MT. Fisher said that was correct MT. Fisher also said that he had written two prison directors for information and he did not think they had given it fully, especially as re- gards publicity of the contracts.
 Mr. Fuller, of the board. then lae- piled to Professor Fisher reading from letter which he had sent to Professor Fisher detailing the contracts, terms, etc, and simplifying it by a, statement showing that the contracts were given by the prison warden after cores pon- dence with various firms which will pay for prison labor.
 No Contracts Awarded by Present
 Board.
 Professor Fisher said that the state nent showed that while correspondence in plenty was carried on with firms there was no advertisement of the bids. At this he was surprised see ing that the directors were so closely identified with the press. He asked: Why should newspaper men on the board dtsparage the press by not giv- ing publicity to the bids ?''
 Mr. Fuller replied that he thought Warden GarVfn found he could get bet ter results by direct correspondence than by newspaper advertising and Colonel Osborn of New Haven also in reply said that the matter was left to the good judgmest of the warden, and secondly, there had been no con tracts awarded since the present board had been in office. The method of se- curing bids before that was undoubted- ly a matter of judgment.
 Dr. Croft of New Haven said that suspicion was held generally that vest ed interests and political influence bears upon judicial commitments es- pecially where it has relation to prison contracts.
 Professor Fisher rose and said he had just asked Colonel Osborn and MT. Fuller if he could see the contents of the contracts and that Colonel Osborn had said he could but MT. Fuller had replied that he did not know whether he could or not.
 MT Fuller said that if the commit tee wanted to see the contracts they could do so but it was quite another thing to have anyone come along and demand to see those contracts.
 Board Not In Conspiracy with Judi-
 eiary.
 W. o. Burr another director, said that there had been two charges made and he wished to say that the board was not in conspiracy with the judi ciary and there was arrangement by which a judge should make long sentences in order to enhance the con- tract system.
 Before the labor committee the pro- gressives bill for a minimum wage was heard. Herbert Knox Smith being a speaker, James P. Woodruff of the industrial commission was against the bill as drawn because the commits sion did not wish to continue as & minimum wage commission. He also said that while the commission had but in a, bill for inquiry into a minimum wage 1t was now opposed to the idea and the committee could report against this bill,
 In B Eiaht Witi, Eish Paachers in g