New Britain herald., 1927-01-03
LEGISLATORS ARE
MAKING READY TO
MEET WEDNESDAY
Caucus Will Be Held Tomorrow
M6ht-Hll Likely to Be .
Speaker
WALC0TT IS SLATED AS
SENATE HEAD PRO TEN.


Wednesday Afternoon - Question
OF Providing Additional Office
Space for Various State Depart
ments viii Be One of the Big
Questions Coming Up This Session.
Hartford, Jan. Rl-The bien-
NAL hustle in and around the state
capitol which precedes the incoming
of a general assembly session began
today as state employees made ready
for the gathering which on Wednes-
day afternoon Will see John H.
Trumbull sworn in as governor for
his second term.
When the last session adjourned
there was in prospect d RECONSTRUCT
ted chamber for the House of Retp-
resentatives because of the need OF
more room in the building for the
administrative departments, but
nothing mas Deen done.
What plans were in view were laid
aside to see if the problem OF hous-
ing the various departments might
not be worked out in a different way.
leaving the chamber of the house as
it is now. One argument for a
change was that 4 proposed plan
would put the house on the third
floor and opposite the senate cham
Der and making the space acquired
on the second floor available for
committee and other rooms needed
by the legislators. Such rooms would
obviate turning out of their rooms
some of the departments and
doubling up with others to afford
accommodations for executive COM
mittees. 1t is expected that much
will be heard at the present session
about the needs of state departments
and it is forecast that something
will be done to meet those needs.
Talk of New Building
The opinion generally held by the
heads of departments is that the
state should erect an administration
building close by the capitol to which
will be removed the motor vehicle
department. the state highway de-
partment and the department of ed
ucation. each of which requires a
great deal of room and each OF
which is now paying for outside &C
comm odations. The state police de-
partment has outside offices and
headquarters barracks and this de-
partment could be brought into the
new administration building. The
state already has location for q
building and the legislature is like
ly to make an appropriation for the
administration building. Heads of
state departments who are of the
opinion that their offices should re-
main in the capitol point out that
the great amount OF business done
by the motor vehicle and education
departments, the constant streams OF
callers to the capitol, makes it urgent
that these be placed elsewhere and
the capitol once more become a
place of dignified quietude. Two de-
partments which are seeking addi-
tional office space in the building are
those of banks and health who are
finding quarters decidedly cramped
because of the large growth Of their
energies in recent years.
LEGISLATORS also will have pointed
out as another argument for an adj
ministration building that the rou-
tine of st"te administration is great
ly upset during the sitting OF the
general assembly because committees
are obliged to use departmental
quarters for their hearings.
AS 1t is forecast that the join rules
of the general assembly will be
amended to eliminate the committees
on excise and woman suffrage as OBJ
solete and addition of those on motor
vehicles and aviation as required by
conditions. the plea +or an admins
tration building. 10 be put up at 'nce
is likely TO be pressed by the mJto1
vehicle committee. It did cot seem
to be the opinion of those who were
making forecasts of the session.
business that anything will be done
to alter the capitol structure.
Alterations Are Opposed
There has always been reluctance
to make an addition to it or to alter
its interior. When the new senate
chamber was made on the third floor
it was because the state library had
gone to its new building and the
space available was ada ptable for a
senate chamber to replace one which
became crowded back In the days
when redistricting gave that BODY
81 members. Members of the sen
cral assembly will find that the ex-
ncutive offices have been retinisheG
and refurnished since last session.
The most attractive OF the furni h.
ings are tAe two oriental rugs in the
governors roorr and thai of the
executive secretary, the rug in the
latter rom being probably one OF
the most beautiful in the state with
IS old-rose colorings.
Caucus Tomorrow.
The executive caucus Will be held
tomorrow night, and today the fore
cast was that John II. Hin. veteran
member from shelton, will be NOM
mated for speaker by the republic
cans, and Senator Frederick G. Wal
colt, of Norfolk, will be named for
president pro tempore Of the senate
with all its possibilities two years
hence. Representative Hill is legis-
lator of the old school. an inflexihle
republican, is brief of support and
has a dislike for delay when some
thing is ready to be done.
The inauguration of Governor
Trumbull will be on Wednesday after
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