The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-15
More Ripperism

Along strictly party lines the House has adopted the bill creating a commission of nlne tt select Fairfield county shore park. ' The amount appropriated for the purpose is any expenditure up to S75o.O0O Amendments Introduced by democrats failed of their pur- psse. One of these would have had the state park and forest commission select the park site. The second would have located the proposed shore park at Sherwood Island. It seems almost useless to go into this argument again. but we wonder if the state at large is fully aware of the trick that republican legislature is playing upon it.
 Representative Wallace N. Jewett demo- eat, of Hampton. called the passage of the bill the biggest political steal ever pulled off i1s any General Assembly,. It's worse than that. It's plain attempt to crcumvent the work of the state park and forest commission. It establishes one of those precedents about which republican legislators have been quick to rave and rant when democratic legislation was being considered Witness the recent de- feat of the bill creating Pulaski Day on Octo- Der llth It also enables influential Fairfield 
 Greens Farms district, to prove that money is more powerful than public rights
 Reviewing once more the case we must go back to 1914 In that year the state acquired land on Sherwood Island for development as seaside park. Access to the site was by way of sandbar which could be crossed both at low and high tides. Opposition to the pro- posed park developed SO the matter rested. few short years ago the channel between the mainland and the island was dredged, thus removing the sand bar. With the state park and forest commission anxious to proceed with the work of development and Fairfield county residents clamoring for their one state park matters came to the point where the public must be turned away from Sherwood Island to any other site.
 An amusement park at Roton Point was suggested but presumably rejected. Now spe- cial commission of Fairfield county residents will pick a site and probably then allow the state park and forest commission to develop and maintain it. Of course most of the S75O.000 appropriation will be used in the purchase. If the commission. we refer to the present state park and forest commission. was allowed to proceed with its plans for Sher- : WOOQ lSldu0 IldiI tIllS dINCuHt WOulu Piop- ably suffice. We have money to burn and if deficit should ever occur it could very easily be blamed on democratic adminis- tration, for isn't Governor Cross democrat Of course a republican Legislature doesn't count.
 The Legislature has done some high-handed things at this session. but the Fairfield county grab is about the limit We have seen the governors powers limited his counsel and advice discarded; his appointments rejected. We even read of amendments to the constitu- ton to legalize gubernatorial appointments of judges that have never been questioned while republican governors have been making them. We could go on and list numerous instances of partisanship that indicate quite clearly efforts to strengthen republican fences throughout the state. But why eontinue' The latest episode is enough to disgust the ayefsge voter. The intent is plain. It will not ct well with ths voters nsxt year.