Republican farmer., 1919-01-10

1 porary homes with normal children, Is a serious difficulty which demands study and adequate legislation. Patchwork laws dealing with these problems should be avoided. The laws relating to dependent and neg lected children have undergone no fundamental revision for more than 1 30 years. I recommend the appoint ment of commission to study the laws relating to children and the practice of other progressive states, and to report to the General Assem- bly of 1921 a revision of our existing laws and to recommend such changes and additions as may seem advisable, bringing together into one code all the laws relating 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 $188,O0O in constructing new buildings at Mansfield for the care Of the Predetermined, and has remov- ed thereto those previously located at | the State Institution at LakeviIle. 1 There are several hundred additional feeble-minded children who have 1 been committed to, but cannot be re- 1 Ceived at, the Mansfield School until 1 further room is provided for them. | These are now located in other instiu- l tions and homes where they cannot adequately be cared for. Increased accommodations must be provided if 1 the state is to provide for its feeble i minded children. The trustees of 1 this institution estimate that S25O, 900 ! can be economically expended for i this purpose during the next two years.
 The electric railway situation in i Connecticut is such as to require ser 1 ious consideration. Our whole in | dUstrial fabric is in a measure de- | pendent upon our electric railway i systems and 1t is of the utmost inn 1 portance to the future welfare and l development of our state that their 1 operation should be efficient and their facilities ample. The report of the 1 Ppblic Utilities Commission just ren- 6ered shows that practically all the street railway companies are operat- ing at a loss, which if continued long i enough must result in dissolution, loss of investment, and suspension of service. The commission in it's report states:
 1 There are numerous contributing causes for present street railway con- i ditions, some inherent, some tempor- ary- and some apparently permanent. Among the principal may be men, toned general war conditions involv- ing high cost and difficulty of pro- curing material and supplies; high and constantly increasing cost of la bor, and difficulty on account of the advantages afforded by private and 1 governmentally controlled industrial i enterprises of securing sufficient and competent help; the increasing bur ! den of taxation; the municipal and | statutory requirements of laying and ! maintaining street pavement; the loss of patronage naturally incident to the use of privately owned auto-
 mobiles; and the more or less unre- stricted competition of public service automobiles or "jitneys' so-called, operating at the option of the owner in the most profitable sections of the street railway company's chartered
 territory, during favorable weather conditions and on improved high ways"
 The report further states:
 Tt is the opinion of this commis- sion that the best interests of the state require and will continue to re- quire electric street railway service as an essential transportation agency, but if both of these competing trans portation agencies are to survive and
 render proper service, some protect ing legislation should be enacted
 whereby the necessary burdens
 would be more equitably apportioned and competitive rights more definite
 ly limited"
 Under the street railway transpor-
 tation system in Connecticut, the in
 direct taxation for street pavement in certain localities creates burden
 upon other localities not thus favor
 ed, and requires the companies tc construct and maintain right of
 way not only for themselves but for
 competing transportation agencies
 
 contribute their proportionate share towards the maintenance of such
 rights of way. The 'jitney' or public
 service automobile, carrying passen-
 gers for hire is in every sense of the word a public utility and as such
 should as in the case of all other
 similar agencies, be brought under
 the regulation of the Public Utilities
 Commission, and the travelling public should be protected In the matter ot
 accident or damage from irresponsi-
 ble common carriers and in the ser
 vice they render. This whole electric
 railway situation Is so serious and il
 is 9 matter involving to so great an
 extent the general we1rare of oul
 people, that it seems to me to be ad-
 visable for your honorable body tc
 appoint forthwith a special commis-
 sion to take 1t under consideration
 and to report at this session.
 Water Supply.
 The water supply of the state is
 one of the most important natural
 utilities, supplying 6 public necessity
 for power and domestic uses. Upon its future preservation, wise develop
 ment and careful utilization, depends
 very largely the future welfare ot
 our people. I recommend that the
 Public Utilities Commission be di- , rected to make a survey Of all unde- veloped water supply of the state and
 to report to the next General As
 sembly their findings and recomen- dations concerning it's control and distribution.
 Sheep.