New Britain herald., 1927-01-06
'CHAkuL IN STATUS
 0F ALL|NG'S POST
Attorney General May Become
 Full Time State Official
S12,OO0 SALARY MENTIONED
Gov. Trumbul Approves of Concen- trating All Legal Advisers and Making filings Office Headquar- ters for Opinions On Law.


 As the result of agitation strength ened by the endorsement of Cover nor John H. Trumbull, 1t is probable that an effort will be made by state legislators to establish the office of attorney general on full time basis with salary commensurate with such change. Such action would affect Attorney General B. W. filling of this city and it is reported that a salary of $12,00O per annum, instead of s6,0O0. the present salary. will be 
 That the change will be made without protest from other depart ments which now employ their own legal advisors is believed doubtful. The program is to coordinate all le- gal advisors IL the state department. state highway department and other branches have their own lawyers and it is thought likely that the heads of those departments will ob- ject to having them removed to the office of the attorney general. The argument is advanced that coordina- ton will promote efficiency and ef- feet harmonious legal policy for the commonwealth. The objection is expected to be that departments will be unable to get immediate aI- tention on questions of law. as they can do under present conditions.
 Governor Expresses Views
 Referring to the office of attorney general in his inaugural address yes- Iterday afternoon, Governor Trumbull said:
 Many problems often of wide im- portance, must necessarily be pre- Isented for solution to the executive department while this body is not In session. Many of such problems re- quire 0 very close contact with the office of the attorney general of the state. And yet the governor. in whose province lies the most vital questions of government policy, is practically the only, state official who must seek his advice from one not of his own choosing. The relations of attorney and client. even though the one may be high public official and the other the great state of Connecticut. imparts the necessity of absolute trust, complete unaninlity of pur- pose, and as in private affairs. basis of personal respect and friend ship. It is only upon such a basis that the office of attorney general can be expected to be administered with the effectiveness which Is de- manded of lawyer in private life. In giving these views, I am indulg- ing in no personalities. During both my present and past terms of office. the gentlemen who have occupied the position of attorney general have commanded my entire respect and confidence. I cannot, however feel that my own good fortune In this respect insures equal fortune to my successors.
 "Feeling as I do that the relations of an attorney general to the gover- nor should be upon a very close and | fly that his selection be by appoint ment of the governor In the same manner as the judiciary is selected, rather than by vote of the electors. 1 go further than this. At the mo- ment many of the administrative de- partments are authorized, under the law, to engage their own counsel. Thetresult is that many different and uncoordinated legal minds are brought to bear upon the policies of the state. The result is also a dis tinct and obvious economical loss by reason of the diversity of this ad- vice and the number of different law yers who are engaged.
 ITO correct this situation strong ly urge that the attorney generals office be made department of the state, with provision for adequate assistance, both legal and clerical, and that the department be charged with providing such legal advice to the various departments as may be from time to time required.
 Tn connection with this, the au- thorization to the different depart ments to secure legal advice inde- pendent of the attorney generals office might well be limited to situa- tions of great importance, and then only upon the ncurrence of the at torney general himself"