The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-19
Capitol Hill Deserted Today Following Festivities of Yesterday Marking Wind Up of Session.
WILSON HAS EYES ON
 HOLCOMB'S POSITION
What the Legislators Did To Bridgeport's Charter = Some Reforms" That Do Not Reform.
Especial to the Farrner.D


 Hartford, May 1s-Capitol Hill was practically deserted today. A couple of gardeners puttered around the pansy beds at the north side of the building, while gang of .1aborers fused with the laying of a new ce- rnent walk leading to the south en- trance.
 visible. The General Assembly had adjourned sine die. +The gang had gone home. The Capitol was deserted.
 Within the building, there was a silence tha twas almost sepuIchral- It was so still you could hear the silence. A couple of charwomen cleaned up the litter left in the House chamber by the rollicking representatives at their riotous romp just before ad- journment yesterday
 Their pai1s-whfsper it-rested in that particular corner of the House lobby usually occupied by John Hen King, of Bridgeport. The two Johns were gone. too. They had dismissed school yesterday. and followed the boys in taking a holiday after four and one half months work.
 They seemed fairly well satisfied with the job they had directed, too, when the final smash of the. gave1
  the General Assembly of 1915 was no more. And why shouldn't they bt?
 Three of the faithful workers dn the accomplishment of G. O. P. tsre-| forms had been sent home with prizes, just like the prizes that teach CTS always award good pupils on the last day of school. The prize pupils are Senator Ernest Isbel1, of New Haven. Senate leader; Speaker Frank HeaIey3 of Windsor Locks, and Rep resentativee William s. Hyde, of Man chester, House leader.
 Senator Isbell and Speaker Healey carried away $5,00O jobs as members of the special commission to revise the General Statutes. This cofnmis- sion was authorized to spend about SAP. 900 in these days of G. O. P. economy.
 [ Representative Hyde took home his reward in the shape of a. $3.0o0 job as head of the consolidated labor and factory bureaus.
 ,Lieut-Gov Clifford B. Wilson, who is also mayor of Bridgeport, and who assisted in driving along the Senate business, hasn't got his reward yet. They say'' he has his eyes on the job now held by Marcus H. Holcomb, of Southin gton, for. whom he has been pinch hitting at various social gatherings through out the state.
 Notable among the achievements of the session just ended, was the repeal of the Civil Service law and the repudiation by the G. O. P. of the merit system in the state service. This drastic action was taken in the face of warnings from prominent Re publicans of the state that the killing of the civil service law would work dire results to the Republican party. Former President William H. Taft, former Governor Rollin Woodruff and others headed the Republican pro- testants to such a move.
 But the G. O. P. was out for jobs that had been promised to the faith full The civil service law of 1913 was repealed with a joyous whoop and the office seekers stepped into jobs, singing paeans of praise for the f'reformers.''
 This was about, the biggest piece Of reform attempted by the session. amended so as to exempt employers of less than4 five, and "corporate excess tax was placed on certain corporations. The method of levy ing state and county taxes were changed and some slight changes were made in the general automobile laws.
 A single bit of legislation that rais- ed rim with the G. O. P. organization was the enactment of a law raising the fee for liquor licenses to $T5O- This law occasioned a bitter fight, and, 'tis said, lead to some bitter feel ing among the leaders. John T. and J. Henry, it is reported. and it has never been denied, were divided on this question J. Henry wanted a $500 license fee, but John T., exercis- ing his powers. to show who was F+boss'' succeeded in having the $750 fee damned through.
 Section 3916. restricting the sale of electricity by private corporations was repealed and the committee brought in bill of it's own, on which a hearing had never been held. This bill allows outside corporations to step into the state and engage in the power business. J. Henry Roraback took a fatherly interest in this meas ure. MT. Roraback owns a very lib era1 charter for power company in the western part of the state
 The appropriations bill Topped off all moneys for new road work in the budget from the highway conmis- sioners' off1ce4 Charles J. Bennett, whom Governor Ho1comb re-appoint- ed against the wishes. of the King Roraback machine, was originally a Democratic appointee. The Repub- lican majority acted with unanirnity in this move which might tend to embarrass MT. Bennett's good work.
 The chief concern of the leaders was in raising money. The spend ing of it gave them little trouble. A state tax of 1 1-2 mills is one of the results of the financial situation with which the legislators wrest1ed.