Putnam patriot., 1924-07-25
Hnrtford. July 2I, Ie24

Hartford, July 2l, 1924
 One of the most encouraging ln- dications of Republican success at the polls next November in this state is the attitude of the Progressives towards the Republican party. it was the Progressive party which was responsible for the defeat of William II. Taft for reelection and for the first election of Woodrow Wilson. The recent utteranee of Judge John fl. Light of Norwalk, who was on the progressive ticket for attorney general, Herbert Knox Smith, who was commissioner of corporations, m l the administration of President Roosevelt, and who was afterwards prominent in the Progressive move ment, and of others who were con splcuous in that movement. make il clear that the Pro9ressiyes have re- turned to the household of their old political faith, and that they will be lp the forefront of the battle for the Republican ticket this year. They are men of high personal character and of honest convictions. An effort is be ing made by the Democrats to secure the labor vote for the Democratic At labor vote will be divided this year. II would be uneandid to deny that The Democratic ticket will find favor with labor men of Democratic politl cal anteeedents. But they do not represent the sentiment of labor or ganizations In an industrial state ike Connecticut the tariff issue IS of transcendant importance and the wage earners realize that fact just as keenly as their employers. They have a common interest in the main tenance of protective tariff. A clos ed factory means the loss of wages as well as the loss of dividends.
 Adjustment of Salaries
 The announcement that it is not the intention of the Connecticut civil Service Reform association to agk for legislation at the next ses- sion of the general assembly, which would restore the discarded civil ser vice law to the statute books, has in- terested many people in the state II ls understood the association will coufne its legislatiye activities 1n 1925 to an attempt tO secure the ad- iusfment of salaries of persons em= plaved in A subordinate capacity ln the departments and institutions of the gtate. The association will find Il greater degree of sympathy with their efforts to place the eompensa- ton of those who work for the state on fl more equitable basis than it has experienced in it's purpose to regulate the system of employment. Some years ago the general assembly on the recommendation of the committee on appropriations, made aH earnest effort to remove the inequalities in the fixing of salaries by taking the mower of adjusting out of the hands of those at the head of departments and institutions and transferring II to the board of finance and the board of control The change was good one andt had satisfactory results but only to limited extent. The sys- tenn of fixing salaries continues defee- tive and some of it's defects are glar- ing. What is needed is thorough investigation of the whole matter by n commission which will have no of 6cial relationship to the departments and institutions. This was done in the case of clerks of courts some years ago.
 No Partisanship tn Departments
 Whatever necessity there was in the past for a civil service system in Connecticut there is certainly none now. The office stahs in the state capitol and the corps of assistants in the different institutions prove that. The politics of an appointee no longer determines his or her appointment. The heads of all the departments at the capitol and in tho annex on Capi- tol avenue are, with one exception, Republicans. The exception is the dairy and pure feed commissioner. But the Republican and Democratic parties are about equally represented L lA- L. Lta.. .hr.tat k.ara