Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-31
GIVES OPTION ON
 A. LIBERAL SUNDAY.
Bill Provides That People of City or Town Shall Regulate aAmusements.

Judge Charles J. Martin of Orange has presented one of the many bills to the general assembly providing for liberalizing Sunday. Judge Martins bill, which has been submitted to the judiciary committee. provides that peo- pie of town or city shall exercise local option in regard to Sunday amusementS and athletics. It has the merit, he believes of eliminating any tendency to interfere with religious exercises on the day.
 There have probably been over 100 forms of Sunday bill presented during the last and this session of the legis- lature providing for the repeal of the old Sunday law, or the enactment of new laws along variously differing lines. Sunday legislation has had an eventful career in the general assem- bly,. Though not generally understood, the old Sunday laws still remain on the statute books. The ancient blue laws were repealed in 1913, but subsequently re-enacted.
 The attitude of the towns of the Sunday laws is necessarily different on account of the variation of interests and kind of people in the cities and towns. The rural communities, whose representatives make up the bulk of the general assembly, have no demand for amusements on Sundays. Their location is not suitable to any kind of Sunday business or amuSementS, and
  day have come up in the house th~y, on account of their majority over the city representatives, have had the power to kill them.
 To avoid opposition of small towns, MT. Martins S bill provides that in towns of 10, 900 or more the inhabitants legislate for themselves upon the mat ter of Sunday amuSementS, that is, exercise local option. This typifies the principle of home rule and removes ha nf which are not affected in any wise by the provisions of the bill, offering op- position to the cities or larger towns, which are so situated and so populated as to need regulation of the Sunday according to their own dictates.
 Two years ago Judge Martin intro duced a similar bill in the house, which was defeated by only eight votes, and which in modified form passed the senate
 Senator Michael J. Quinn has also formulated a bill along practically the same lines, which was introduced '7 i the senate Friday by Senator Whitney. It provides that the inhabitants of any town with a population of 1000 or more, except towns which: have a city or borough within their limits, may engage in public athletic sports, or entertainments between 2 o'clock and II p. m. on Sunday, pro- vided that it is favored by the majority of the annual town meeting. In the case of the meetings being held an'- nually, the vote shall be taken then. In either case, however, there shall be a petition of 10 per cent of the voters requesting the vote submitted to the town clerk at least 30 days before the 
 The bill provides, as far as cities or bOroughS are concerned that the legiS- lative bodies in these places can pass 9 resolution or ordinance favoring etc. between the hours and that the resolution or ordinance, as the case might be, must be submitted to the voters of the place at the next municipal or borough election. The mayor or warden must first have approved of the measure, ,, however.