Connecticut western news., 1917-05-17
LEGISLATIVE D0lNGS
Session Just Closed Marked by Pass
 age of Unusual Bills.


 General Assembly to come today, says the Journal. Courier closes the remark able war session of Connecticut, a ses- sion in which more unlimited powew was given the chief executive and IDore radical legislation was passed in the line of military acts than ever before in the history of the Legislature in this or any other state. Massachusetts iH still tusseling with few of the legis- lative problems which the Connecticut assembly settled at the immediate out break of the war, and other legislatures hope at their adjournment to have as- complished at least few of the things which Connecticut has so summariiy accomplished. Leaving aside all Ques- tions as to the advisability of legisfa-. tion thus enacted, and its contribution generally to the unlimited and slmoas Prussian power in the chief executive the citizens of the state have just caEse to feel pride in this phase of legislatiwn achievement. Aside from the military measures passed during the session tfas most significant achievement has beer the passage of the Child Welfare bill. which provides pensions for widows This is matter which has been agi. tated for several sessions in the general assembly, and to say that it would pass two years ago would consign the prophet to Cassandra's class. Repbuu. can and Dem ocratic leaders agree that this is the most important piece uf Legislation passed together with the Teachers pension bill. Several impor- NnR .l aa NIz Mz Compensation act have passed, though occupationsl diseases were not included Labor has secured practically little from the present assembly,. if one omits this achievement. More accurate consideration, however recognizes the. Bartlett tort act, which prohibits the taking of the body in judgment as A measure much sought by labor interests Suffragists and Piohibiticnists wouls Eclaim that their greatest victory of a quarter century has been achieved in tho securing of a referendum vote on constitutional amendments on the~o two subjects.
 Two new departments have bees created in the state, with no consider . able increase i1 the cost of upkeen except the automobile department, with its new commissioner of motor vehicles. Senator Robbins Stoeckel . Norfolk, and the new health depart ment, which it has been told involves only the cost of the commissIonerof health at $4,000 year, and otlIer changes which do not cause any extra cost, so it has been claimed. The new and comprehensive automobile lazy which regulates jitneys. too. and k which took many months to complete has been enacted into law, with greater speed than was possible in tho Massachusetts legislature. where they are still tussling over the problem. The law giving cities grester Home Rule power was passed, and Socialists and advocates of munIcipal ownership. may find an entering wedge in the act giving the city of Waterbury power to establish coal commission, which wac passed after hot fight In both houses The real political coup of the session was accomplished in the passage of tho recommendation of the committee on education giving Secretary Hine. of the state board of education, m asstH. tant The attempt to make a single headed commission out of the fish ans game commission failed after mucn struggle to pass it.
 In the line of liquor Legislation passed aside from the prohibition referendum, which emboldened the anti liquor interests to such an extans that they assaulted the legislature with the extravagant war measure empowering the governor to close alf saloons, the regulation of the clubs was the most important and best Tho pernicious key clubs, possible under the interpretation of the club law passed by the assembly in 1915, aro thereby wiped out of existence. Only clubs paying yearly fee of $6, ,~nud in existence three years in permanent quarters are allowed to operate. No license IS granted to clubs in buildings with saloons except on renewal d social, military, or fraternal orHaniza. tions Several important changes have been made in the charity acts of the state, notably one which permits those who car afford to pay for charges al state insane asylums.
 The session has been most unusuaA in the large number of salary increases granted to heads of departments. bus lamentably lacking in increases to tho real workers. the under secretaries aud stenographers, who have had none. tO plead their cause before the high oouya of appropriations,
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