The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-07-15
FRIDAY, JULY IS, 1882
Chaos Coming?

q Mayor George A. Quigley of New Britain
 prediets state of chaos in Connecticut cities
 and towns unless Governor Cross calls spe- sscial session of the General Assembly. The
 New Britain executive seems to be some
 what exasperated by the inactivity of Gov
 ernor Cross in this regard. Personally we
 rather admire his persistence in postponing until inevitable such thing as special
 session. We noted in one of the mayors letters to the governor this expression =
 The problems facing us today are eco homie. not political" How true that is, yet how easily those same economic prob lems become political footballs when they seare placed before any legislative body.
 For example Congress has been wrestling %with economic relief programs and plans Fever since it convened last December. Of scourse. by December. l931, even Presi- dent Hoover had been forced to admit serious state of affairs in the United States. It was quite an admission for him, inasmueh as shortly after his inauguration he predict ed the end of the depression in 60 days. There is many man in high republican circles today who wishes unuttered those thoughts of 1850 and late 1929. What sscolossal asses those prognostieators made of Themselves by glibly declaring that sound srepubliean leadership would cause the depres- sssion to end forthwith.
 ' But that is beside the point. We may ..cven be accused of political motives if we rant too much. But when we regard the ' economic situation right here in this state . and hear executives talking about seeking .state aid for their communities we wonder If they stop to think of the opportunities they wasted one short year ago when the Legislature was in session and relief meas ' ures were as necessary then as now. Where ]. were Mayor Quigley and his cohorts in .l931? Why weren't there under consider .ation bills to enable cities and towns to cope with increasing demands for work. food, ' and clothing, ordinarily cared for by the i. proper agencies, but now demanding the at- :. tention of even the executive branches of the l. local government?
 It IS all very well for mayors to demand "a special legislative session now. but it is : good common sense upon Governor Cross's .part to resist all such entreaties until he Knows that definite program of relief IS !. ready to be submitted. And even if splen- ]. did program is prepared. will the Legislature
 pass it, or kick it around until it has as- sumed a far different shape than when first placed before them. That's the big ques- ton. As long ago as his inaugural in Jan ..uary, l931, Governor Cross suggested a study of existing methods of taxation to
 bring about possible reforms. When this was embodied in bill it was defeated by
 republican legislators Now everybody is
 working out new ways of increasing local
 and state revenue without adding new bur- dens to those of the already harassed tax
 payer.
 sA Can a session attended by the same leg
 islators who vetoed the suggestion of tax re- forms be expected to do an about face
 maneuver in the period of fifteen or sixteen
 months? Evidently Mayor Quigley is con-
 fident that the republican majorities in the House and Senate are of different opinion
 today than they were in l93l. We admit
 deep degree of pessimism with regard to special legislative session. If it is called, we
 Twill hope for the best. If it isn't, we will
 believe that conditions could not have been
 s.r.oyouod hv if