Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-02
HAVE ALTERED IMPORTANCE
 OF SEVERAL COMMITTEES
List of Really Important Committees
 Reduced to a Very Few.

With the approach of the opening of the general assembly. in January, the representatives-el are begin
 hing Itoostudysthe possibilities ofase ! curing desirable committee places, and in this connection it has been seen ! that legislation, enacted at the last session has altered the importance of certain committees, says the Hartford Times. Indeed it has reduced to a very small number the list of really important committees
 Those entitled to be considered in the small list are the following: Judi ciary, house committee on constitu- tlonal amendments. excise, finance, in corporations and public health and safety.
 Appropriations, which was formerly considered one of the committees, appointment to which enhanced the influence of member with his col leagues, will no longer carry with it any powers to create, enlarge or, re- duce state allotment of funds ill any way commensurate with the past be-
 cause of the creation of the state board of finance whose duty it is to prepare a state budget
 Cities and boroughs, always de- s1rable committee for members from ! the urban centers, also suffers sig able reduction in importance because of the passage by the last assembly of the home rule bill for cities and boroughs, placing it within the power of these chartered communities to make whatever changes they desire in their charters at home, without being forced to cater to legislative whims. The claims committee which has transacted important business in many previous sessions also moves down many pegs to a point where it becomes almost excess legislative baggage save frar- i1n hi of ing of legislation that compels the fil- ing of claims against the state with the attorney general within six months of their creation. F~ The house committee on constitu- tional amendments will share with the judiciary committee in timpprtance, this session. because of the attention that will be- given to its report on the suffrage for women proposition. That g. determined effort will be made to start the proposed amendment on the oath that will bring to the supporters, the privelege of voting on an equal basis with men, goes without saying. Naturally the suffragists will make a strong bid to secure representation favorable to their cause on this com mittee, with what success, however, remains to be demonstrated.
 Excise will. loom up large this ses- sion as it did at the last session when 1t reported a bill to increase the li- cense fee of the retail liqour men from s450 to $750. Next session there will be a determined fight on the part of the saloon regulation men to increase the fee to s1.00O. Another fight will be to place the saloons upon a one to l 8 thousand in population basis; and In addition, there will be the annual effort to bring about constitutional amendment for state wide prohibition. The judiciary committee will, of course, be as important as usual be- cause of the power which will be vest ed in it for the appointment of all the minor court judges of the state. Tech nically the legislature makes the ap- pointments, and the committee merely recommends, but invariably the com | n1ittees appointment is sustained, the senate and house chairman of the committees being the leaders in the senate and the house respectively.
 1 One of the important pieces of leg 1 fsfation, which the Judiciary commit 1 tee will have before it this session is l the establishment of a new automobile | department and an automobile court l where af1sgressers against the motor
 ! vehicle law will be dealt with prop
 l er]y.4- # v.
 | ! The interpretations committee
 doubtless wilF deal, with many power
 l bills and will exercise vast importance during the approaching session. Per-
 hapss the ghost of the famous Rex power bill Of previous sessions will
 -sta k intolits committee ro3nn.s +4 The finance committee will have be-
 l fore it's attention bills dealing with forms of state taxation. The insnr-