The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-09
PREPARE BILLS. TO TAKE VOTES
 OF MIl|TIAMEN
Another Relief Measure Will Be Introduced at Special
 Session.

Two bills have been drafted for presentation at the special session of the legislature, which will convene next Tuesday. One, if passed, will give Connecticut militiamen the right to vote in the field at the state and national election in November. The other calls for an appropriation of not more than $100,0OO for the relief of de- pendents of militiamen called to their country's service.
 The bills as drafted were approved by Governor Marcus H. Holcomb yes- terday afternoon,
 The chief measure for which the legislators were summoned calls for an act empowering the governor to appoint two commissioners to go to the border and receive the votes of the Connecticut soldiers in the field who are electors in this state. It pro-. vides that the governor shall mako the appointment within ten days after the act takes effect. Not less than 30 days before the election the secretary of the state, according to the measure, shall have a sufficient number of bal lots printed and delivered to the com missioners. The ballots are to be printed in the manner provided in the public acts of 1909 and win contain
 the names of the candidates. Instead of the designation of the town, ward or voting district. the words Connect lcut 4oldier vhte'' will be printed on the back of the ballot.
 The commissioners are to keep a record of the name. company or troop and regiment, of all soldiers whose ov,d cI,on fv, the record that they did not attempt to influence the electors. These rec ords will be filed in the office of the secretary of the state. When the com missioners return from the border they will transmit to the town clerks of the several towns about the state the ballots of the soldiers. The town clerks will then deliver the ballots to the moderators in their towns, or to the moderator of each ward, as the case may be. The commissioners are to receive s for each day employed and their traveling expenses. According to the measure: 'In towns In which voting machines are used, each moderator shall place the sol- diers' ballots and envelopes in a pack age properly sealed and endorsed and deliver the same to the town clerk. Said package shall be preserved for six months after said election and may be opened only upon order of a court of competent Jurisdiction and. at the end of six months, unless otherwise ordered by the court, may be de- stroyed."
 The bill concerning the relief of dependents of soldiers in the field provides that any town or city in the state which has furnished aid to those dependent upon Connecticut militia men since the troops were sent to the border shall be reimbursed by the state. The measure provides that $100,OOO or so much thereof as may
 be necessary be appropriated for the purpose of aiding dependents of mili- t1amen. It also provides that if this appropriation proves to be insufficient to meet expenses incurred the board
 or control may increase the appro-
 priation.
 The bill specifies that the aid for dependents act shall continue in ef- rect until April l, 1917, and no long CT unless by further enactment by the General Assembly.
 It Is generally believed that the special session. which will open next ueSody morning at II o'clock, will not last beyond one day.
 Regarding the matter of mileage
 money for the members of the assem-
 ply, the following statement was is- sued yesterday from the office of state Treasurer Frederick S. Cham
 berlain:-
 Members of the General Assem- ply are not entitled to any pay for
 the extra session, hut will draw mile- age the same as for the regular ses-
 son. Treasurer Chamberlain will
 nave checks ready at the close of the session for each member entitled to
 mileage It will require 2sS checks TOT the senators and representatives Who are entitled to travel pay.
 amounting in the aggregate to $6,- 265.r