Putnam patriot., 1915-02-05
NEW EFFORT TO
 SECURE MILEAGE
Senator Whiton Introduces Bill to Cover Question This Year
MANY ECONOMY BILLS IN
Comptroller Dunn Two Years Ago De- clined to Pay Travelling Expenses of Members of islature-consti-
 tutional Amendment Needed.

Special Hartford Correspondence)
 Hartford.-Senator Lucius E. Whi- ton of New London, offered a resolu- ton in the senate which if passed and declared legal will place the entire travelling expenses of the members of the assembly with the state The resolution is drawn to avoid the con stitutional obstacle which was called to public attention by Comptroller Daniel Dunn two years age upon which he based his refusal to continue the practice of providing mileage for the legislators. Up to Dunns time as comptroller. it had been the custom for many years for the state to pay the assemblymen's mileage The mem- bers of the legislature two years ago and the members this year so far have had to pay their own travelling expenses above the nominal sum al- lowed for that purpose under the point raised by Dunn. The mileage ques- ton caused big row at the legisla- ture two years ago, but the members could not do anything without con. stitutional amendment, which requires a delay of two years for passage. Suitable steps for such a constitu- tional amendment were taken two years ago and the amendment will probably go through this session, after which it must be put before the people on a referendum vote before going into force. This means that the mileage provision in the constitution cannot be changed in time to do this assem- ly any good.
 Make Shift Remedy.
 Senator Whiton's resolution is sort of a make-shift for this year alone. Senator Whiton's reasoning to prove his resolution legal is along this line. The constitution at present pro- vides that the members of the as sembly shall receive one mileage each way between their home town and Hartford at the rate of twenty-five cents a mile. Thus a memb Der from New Haven, which is approximately B7 miles from Hartford is paid only k1S.50 for his mileage for the whole session. Senator Whiton reasons from this that the constitution presumes that his mileage should only cost that much. His resolution provides that the comptroller shall secure mileage for all the members of the assembly and that he shall provide it to all members, paying him sum equal to one mileage each way to and from home at 25 cents a mile and that the ! deficit from the sale of the mileage books at this rate shall be made up by the comptroller out of the account for legislative expenses. The resolu- ton was tabled for printing at Sena- tor Whiton's request. He will attempt ! to have it put through immediately. If the assembly passes the bill it will then be up to the attorney general 10 decide whether it is constitutional Senator Whiton spoke briefly in pre- senting the resolution. He said he thought it legal and said it was mani festly unfair to ask the legislators to pay their own mileage.
 Many Offices Will Go.
 s Senator Ernest l. IsbeIl, of New Haven, the senate republican leader l put in number of bills for the abol- ishing and consolidation of various state offices and commissions. The bills called for the abolishment of the compissiener of the bureau of labor statistics and the creation of the of flee of tabor commissioner, who shall also perform the duties of the factory Inspector; the abolishment of the state barber commission and the Transfer of that work to the state board of health; tie abolishment of tse tuberculosis commission and the Appointment of single commissioner st salary of $2.500, the abolishment Of the state agricultural commission and the appointment of single agri- cultural commissioner; and the abol- { ishment of the state board of embalm- ers and the transfer of their duties to the beard of health. Bills had previ- ously been entered for the abolish ment of the shell fish commission the building and loan commissioner and the abolishment and consolidation of Several other offices and commissions As another move for more efficiency in the conduct of state affairs, Sena- tor Isbell introduced a bill for the es- Establishment of a state board of fin ance, the members to be paid $500 year each. Another bill by Senator Isbell provided for the appointment of . state purchasing agent at a salary of $4,000 year All these bills were Favored by Governor Marcus ii. Hol- comb in his inaugural address