Putnam patriot., 1923-11-16

Hartford, Nov. IS.-The plan of 1 Governor Tcmpleton for the appoint ment ef a purchasing agent for the institutions and departments of the state has been sheivedn lt has been | referred tn a committee appointed by representatives of the institutions and these representatives showed at the conferences held in the governors of ! flee. with the chief executive. that they were not ia accord with the views of l the governor on the matter. The goN- ernor Is evidently satisfied with what he has done in directing public atfen- tion to his plan and in alfordiae an opportunity for it's discussion by the officials affected by 1t. He has turn cd over all the data on the subject that were in his possession. to the com mittee The governor announced that the project for the creation of the of fee of purchasing agent was dead and that il had received its death blow when the general assembly al the last session rejected the bill for the crea- ton of the position. The conferences in the governors office brought out the fact that the state comptroller had the authority to do everything that a purchasing agent could do to save money for the state in making pur- chases. and that as a matter of fact his office was doing that Perhaps something was gained in the recogni- tion of the necessity of a greater de gree of cooperation among heads of in- stitutions and it was tacitly agreed that they should hold meetings six times year or oftener if necessary. for an exchange of views on the eondi- tien of the markets. The governor 's statement that the state was losing Si .500. .000 a year under the present system was not conceded. The state ment of his excelleney continues Co be merely an inference. differences are too closely allied to conjecture to ae- cept them as determining factors in state policies.
 State Pension System
 In last weeks correspondence at tention was called to the defects in the present system of state pensions Since then the meagre pension given a state employe on her retirement from the service of the state serves to call attention to these defects. She was In the employ of the stHte for thirty-two years. Most q the time she Was in the comptroller office and was noted for her fidelity Co duty and for her remarkable knowledge of the fseal system If the state. Ii is true the board of control. under the law could not have given her larger pension. But was t necessary to acs cert her resignationl Wouldn't it have been more ennsiderate H Che board had given her a years leave of absence ta Feeuperute her aealths Aar would that action have been with cut precedent to justify if Some years aea when Asahel ] Wright. tho chief clerk in the office ai the state Board of Education, Was su1ering from impaired health. he was given . wears leave of absence with pay, and the action of the Board of Education WIS commended When Y. Clarence Bissell retired from the position of deputy comptroller Ia which he had served only about tweutv-four years, the pension law was changed He then became eligible for a generous pension. His services were more cas- iiy spared than those uf his better in- formed subordinate who retired thls week The pension law is commend able in spirit but defective in opera ton But for the praiaeworthy ef- forts of Senator John N. Brooks of Torrington, Miss Skinner would have been allowed to retire from the insur- ance department. where for over forty five years she did important and eff eieut clerical work, without the slight est provision being made for her de ciining years The pension system ia l hasically wrong Under t he who ] hath Co whom it shall be given.
 Political indications
 There is nothing in the recent municipal elections Co cause anxiety l in state Republican circles. But neith- CT is there anything in the results to tempt the Republican leaders to be overconfdent next year when the con. tests will be over national and state i issues. It Is true that the Democratic majority of two years ago in New Haven was appreciahly reduced, and that in Waterbury the Democratic candidate was a particularly strong one. while in Bridgeport it was vic tory but of the uncertain kind that i' described by the old saying that an l ell is as good as 6 mile II may bs said that local questions had more te de with determining the results than anything else and that next year when the issues take n wider scope, the results will be different. But with every allowance for the influence of local causes a local defeat has mOr. al influence which cannot be pooh poohed or discounted it ia party defeat. and that is never comforting ! The outlook for the success of the Re.
 publican ticket, both national and