Norwich bulletin., 1919-01-09

lating to children and the practice Of
other progressive states, and to report
to the General Assembly of 1921 a re-
vision of our existing laws and to re-
commend such changes and additions
as may seem advisable, bringing to-
gether into one code all the laws re-
lating to children.
EPileptics and Feeble Minded.
During the two years last past the
Board Of Trustees of the Mansfield
Training School and Hospital has ex-
| pended $1SS000 in constructing new
buildings at Mansfield for the care of
the feeble-minded, and has removed
| thereto those previously located at the
state Institution at Laleville. There
are several hundred additional feeble
minded children who have been COM
| mItted to, but cannot ne received at
the Mansfield School until further
room is provided for them. These are
row located in other institutions and
homes where they cannot adequately
! be cared for. Increased accommoda-
| tions rust be provided if the State is
t. lf:uTi2e for its feeble minded chill
! Grtn The trustees of this institution
estimate that $250,000 can be econom-
ic&lly expended for this purpose dur
Ing The next two years.
Public uti!l4 es.
TIE electric railway situation in
| Come ricut is such as to require Sc
r4ou- consideration. our whGe !:dus-
| trial 1ahrIc is in q rnaas4ie doneut
| ent upon our electric raifCay systems
and it Is . ,hn utmost ilnp6rta"t tG
the future welfare and DEVELOPMENT of
our State that their operation should
be efficient and their facilities ample
The report of the Public Utilities Com
1nsson Just rendered shows that p-ac-
tcally all the street railway companies
are operating at q loss, which if con-
tinued long enough must result in dis
solution, loss of investment. and sus-
pension of service. The commission in
its report states,
| There are numerous contributing
causes for present street railway con-
ditions, some inherent, some tempo
rary, and some apparently permanent
Among the principal may be mention
ed general war conditions involving
high cost and difficulty of procuring
material and supplies; high and con-
Stantly increasing cost of labor, and
difficulty on account of the advantages
afforded by private and government
ally controlled industrial enterprises
of securing sufficient and competent
help; the increasing burden of taxa
ton; the municipal and statutory re
quirements of laying and maintaining
street pavement: the loss of patronage
naturally incident to the use of pri-
vately owned automobiles: and the
!, more or less unrestricted competition
of public service automobiles or Ftjit-
ney6" so-caIled operating at the op-
ton of the owner in the most profit
: able sections Of the street railway
company's chartered territory, during
: favorable weather conditions and or
improved highways"
: The report further states,
! 1T is the opinion of this commits
5 sion that the best interests Of the State
require and will continue to require
electric street railway service as ar
: essential transportation agency, but
if both of these competing transpor
tation agencies are to survive and
render proper service, some protecting
l legislation should be enacted whereby
5 the necessary burden would be more
;. eduitably apportioned and competitive
= rights more definitely limited
l Under the street railway transpor-
= tatlon system in Connecticut, the indi.
S rect taxation for street pavement il
: certain localities creates a burden up.
= on other localities not thus favored
and requires the companies to con
4 struct and maintain right of way no
e only for themselves but for competins
n transportation agencies which are no
4 at present required to contribute theil
S proportionate share towards the main,
e tenance of such rights of way Tht
''jitney'' or public service automobile
I carrying passengers for hire is in ever,
I sense of the word a public utility anC
n as such as in the case of all othe,
n similar agencies, be brought under tht
e regulation of the Public Utilities Com
mission, and the travelling publ,
o should be protected in the matter o
: accident or damage from irresponsible
common carriers and the service the,
render. This whole electric railwa!
situation is so serious and it is mat
Y ter involving to so great an extent thu
general welfare of our people, that i
e seems to me to be advise for your hon
a orahle body TO appoint forthwith
: special commission to take it unde
>, consideration and to report at thi
4 session.
Water Supply.
= The water supply of the State is on
v Of the most important natural utili
S ties, supply a public necessity for pow
t er and domestic uses. Upon its fu
h ture preservation, wise development
: and careful utilization, depends yer.
q largely the future WeIdTc OF our peo
h pie. I recommend that the Publ
y Utilities Commission be directed t
: make a survey and to report to til
= next General Assembly their finding
$. and recommendations concerning it
II control and distribution.
= By legislative order a census Of tn
d agricultural and manufacturing re.
h sources of the State was taken for tn
year ending October l, 1915, whicl
e showed that we then had 289.574 sheeI
= in this State and produced S49.1S
o pounds of wool At the present tim
= we have $4,000 sheep according t
is statements I have seen in the news
n paper; less than per cent. of tn
n number we had more than sevent
is years ago. We have a large acrea g
It of land adapted to sheep raising. Ac
v cordins to my observation, during tn
q last half century the farmer who at
a tempted to raise sheep has sold tn
.e most of his flock yearly to his tow
g by virtue of the statute providing 70
II damage by dogs. The stray dog as dis
IL tinct from the properly trained an
= controlled variety appears to be tn
le natural enemy Of the sheep, and hi
,e principal function is to cultivate hy
= drophobia for distribution among hui
" man beings and useful dumb animals
Lamb and mutton are excellent foo
and wool is desira BILE for clothing. TIL
mongrel dog contributes nothing "
u can wear and nothing we knowingl
~ we can eat. I am confident our peopl
y would welcome effective laws whic
lie would permit successful sheep raisin
e in thic State