Connecticut western news., 1913-01-23
BEST BANQUET EVER
Continued from First Page.)

whole company joined with spirit. It
 took the company just two hours to dis
 cuss the W hole menu, and at l0:80, when
 cigars were served the soul-f flow and req
 sun.f feast began with brief but well ex
 pressed address of welcome to the Gov
 ernor and other distinguished speakers
 and specially invited guests. by State Treasurer E. s. Roberts. which was
 warmly upplauded. The toast-list was as
 follows:
 X word of Welcome, State Treasurer
 E. S. Roberts.
 His Excellency, Simeon F Baldwin.
 Governor of Connecticut, The State"
 Hon. R. T. Higgins. chairman of the
 Public Utihtirs Commission, The Logic
 of the Situation."
 Rev. E. c. Gillette, Canaan, "The
 Man behind the Gun"
 Mir. F. s. Valentine. secretary State
 B. Nj. A., "rhe good of the order of B.:
 M. A"
 Mir. Charles Dickerson of Bridgeport,
 humorous entertainer and recitationlst.
 When Governor Baldwin, who was
 first to respond to a toast. rose to speak, the enthusiasm of the ovation which greeted him kept him standing for sew eral minutes before he could begin his
 speech, and he was interrupted several
 times during his talk, with cordial ap-
 plause. Governor Baldwin congratu- lated Canaan on its distinguished men, with particular reference to Justice Ror-
 aback, of the supreme court, and k. S.
 Roberts, state treasurer. Referring to
 tho relative consequence of governor
 aud a supreme court justice, Governor
 told this one on himself: He attended
 the funeral of the late Dr. Knight at Salisbury, last fall, and while waiting
 for the return train a gentleman ap-
 preached and asked if he were not the
 Governor. His Excellency assured the
 man that he was. The man said he would like the honor of shaking hands . with tfie Governor, and during the handshakipg process he said "Excnse me, Governor but I have forgotten
 your Tame
 The speaker referred feelIngly to the sudden death of Chief Justice Hall, his close and lifelong friend, and paid elo- quent tribute to the character and virtues of the deceased jurist. The greater part
 of Governor Baldwin's speech was devot- ed to the measures and principles he had advocated in his second inaugural mes sage, particularly emphasizing the desir. ability of changing the state constitution to provide for the election of United States senators and even state senators, by the people direct, instead of by dis tricts. For 200 years, he said. or up to 1928, the people of Connecticut voted for senators on general ticket, just as they r voted for governor, and the executive was simply recommending a return to . the old safe and sane way, which would give us better men in office, and would give the people control of one house of the legislature, leaving the other under control of the various towns. He said he, as governor, and Treasurer Roberts would be brought close together for the next two years, on the Board of Control. ! which is a sort of little legislature that acts when the legislature is not in session and transacts necessary business which the general assembly has, for one reason or another, failed or neglected to do. This board has power to transfer appro, priations, or to make appropriations where the legislature has failed to do so. One of his recommendations concerned the work of the treasury department we ought to make alf our payments from the state treasury rather than by the ! treasurers of the various state institu- { tions. Again, he advocated that all purchases for the state should be made by a state purchasing agent. The peo pie ought to have larger share in the government of the state, said the Gov \ ernor, a sentiment that was loudly ap- plauded.
 The speech of the Governor was lis. tened with the closest attention by all the guests, who occasionally broke in with applause, and when he closed, the ' demonstration was almost as long and ! as fully as loud as when he first entered ! the room.
 Hon. Richard T. Higgins, chairman of the State Public Utilities Commission, ! was the next speaker and received a ' cordial greeting when he rose. He ! mingled humor and some hot shot with I his views on "The logic of the situation and created many a laugh. He said that inasmuch as he had been summoned to give his opinion on the question whether the annual banquet of the Ca. ! naan B. M. A. should be placed under I state regulation and control, he would Say that in his judgment the Association should be required ro give Its annual banquet once week. Referring to the public utilities commission and its ! functions, he said it had supervisory