Republican farmer., 1919-02-07
Justice Wheeler Is Now Chief Justice Of Court |
Judge Case and Judge Cur tis Made Associate
 Justices,
VOTE UNANIMOUS
 IN EACH INSTANCE
Judge Joel H. Reed Was Selected For Office of
 State Referee.

Hartford, Feb. 5-ThC senate elected by ballot associate Jus tice George ". Wheeler as chief justice of the supreme court to assume the rank of Chief Justice Prentice when the latter retires August 8, 1920. Judge William s. Case and Howard J. Curtis of the su- perior court were elected as- sociate justices of the supreme court by ballot, to take seats to be vacated by Justices Wheeler and ROrabacl.. George +. Hin- man was elected a judge of the superior court to fill a vacancy in that bench when promotions become effective. Ballots were unanimous in each instance. Judqe Joel Ig. Reed was elected a state referee. The governor has vet to make other appoint ments to the superior court.
 The session of both branches of the General Assembly was short today, as committees have had little opportun- ity for hearings and no new meas ures are admitted. The House sat for fifteen minutes during which it reelected J. Sedgwick Tracy Of Canaan and Ashael W Mitchell of Woodbury of LitChfeld county.
 Three favorable reports made were on bills amending the Stratford court charter increasing salaries of certain officers in it; for an appropriation for maintaining the Bank street bridge at Seymour and from the Committee on State Park for improvement of Whar ton park at WalIingford.
 In the Senate the judiciary commit tee favorably reported bills to per init states attorneys to employ pri- vate detectives to procure evidence. compensation of such officers to be fixed by a judge and to be paid by the state treasurer as are other costs in case; and to increase salaries of probation officers in cities of over 5O,000 population of $4 to $6 a day with expenses, and in small places from B to S4 a day. The cities and boroughs committee reported favor ably a charter amendment for Water bury abolshing the board of assessors and appertionment and creating a board of tax commissioners and ap- portionment
 Hartford, Feb. 5--As uncertainty of opinion existed among senators who yesterday voted against ratification of the Federal prohibition amendment as the parliamentary status of the matter, the Connecticut senate today declined to reconsider it's action in refusal to ratify. Under rules a mo ton to reconsider had to be made today as the matter will be in the House tomorrow. As the latter body Is expected to vote 10 ratify in non concurrence the joint resolution would again be returned to the Sen ate, as would any other measure on which there was non-concurrence.
 The matter came up Just as the sen ate was about to adjourn. In sense it was unexpected. Few House mem bers had remained in the senate chamber, It had appeared to oppon- ents of ratification who had given considerable time since yesterday in an effort to determine the parliament tary position in which the motion to ratify had been left by its defeat that if the senate failed to vote not to re- consider the matter would fall be tween the two branches and would go to the secretary of state as a meas llre on which there had been disagree ing action and as such could be trans mitted to the next general assembly as unfinished business. If the sen ate refused to reconsider the matter. the contention was that the question of ratification by Connecticut was ended.
 The supporters of ratification after protesting against the effort to re- consider, on the ground that it was not a necessary procedure, attempted to table Senator Brooks motion to re- consider but lost to 20. The mo- ton to reconsider in hope that it would not prevail was carried without division.
 The matter now goes to the House. It's future still remains g. matter of doubt in the opinion of some legisla- tors. It was Speaker Healy who ruled that if the House refused recon sideratioD of a measure that matter could not again come before it. An. piled to the action of the Senate in this case the House could not send back the ratification resolution in non n-concurrence. But on this point opinions differed.
 Some legislators claimed the House if it adopted the ratification resolu- ton would return it to the Senate and the decision as to receipt would rest with the presiding officer probably lieutenant Governor Wilson. If he ruled that the resolution was again before the Senate there could be ar appeal from his decision.
 The present condition is one of par liamentary law only as Connecticut will not ratify the amendment at this session. It was known at the capito that several lawyers had examined the action of the Senate of yesterday to determine if non ratification now would stop introduction of the matter in 1921 or following sessions. Sup porters of the amendment claim thai the matter is of an extraordinary ma ture and tbtt it can be brought up al any time within seven years and thai it can be introduced on the volitio1 of any member
 Huge stands will be built in Nev York to seat families of men of tht