The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-08
Reorganization Plan
 Adoption Up Senate
Republicans Stand Solidly By Reform Senate Demo-
 crats Are Not Yet Fully Decided

, bly's attitude toward revamping the government to place it on an econ omical and efficient basis, will come when the democratic controlled senate gets the bill on favorable committee report.
 A second major phase of the pro- gram had the approval today of the reorganization committee. In execu- tive session last night it voted to report favorably on a bill to estab- fish an executive budget and elim- mate the board of finance and con- trol. The commissioner of finance would be retained, a $7,500-a-year budget director appointed to assist the governor departmental appro- priations, and the governor shoul- dered with full responsibility for the budget makeup. Creation of ac- counting and treasury divisions, to dovetail with the financial admins tration, will be reported separately.
 Legislative Council
 A legislative council bill awaits house action. It would establish an advisory group composed of legis- lative and departmental leaders, to confer with the governor and pave the way for smoother operation of the general assembly. Also ready for report was measure to increase the governors salary from $5000 to $12,000 a year, and that of his exe- cutive secretary to $6,000.
 Necessity of pairing appropriations sharply led the education commit tee to withhold decision on an equalization bill to distribute an ad- ditional $3,000,000 a year in educa- tional grants to towns. The same committee voted an unfavorable re- port on bill to establish regional high schools and create a $175,000 annual revolving fund for mainte- nance. Cooperative high schools now are allowed, financed by the towns. The governor vetoed a regional bill two years ago when no provision was included for an appropriation.
 Motor Vehicles
 The motor vehicles committee re- jected recommendation to SubSti- tute an excise tax for the present property assessment on automobiles. Motor We hicles Commissioner Michael A. Connor, describing the property tax as "a pain in the neck" said the proposed system would guarantee 100 per cent collection from delinquentS.
 Local control, rather than by the state labor department, was favored before the labor committee in regu- lating fee-charging employment agencies.
 Representative of private agen- cies feared their eventual elimina- ton.
 The public utilities commission approved only one of 34 bills dealing with utilities regulations. It was minor measure affecting the form of telephone company reports.
 Unfavorably Reported
 Unfavorably reported were bills to abolish fiat rate and are charges for electricity; abolishing rental charges on French-type telephones; reducing overtime charges on per- son-to-person telephone calls; es- tablishing a five cent bus and troll ley fare within city limits and pro- hibiting utilities companies from operating the appliances business.
 The committee on interstate CO., operation postponed until April 20 a hearing on an interstate flood control company affecting the New England states and designed to check the headwaters of the Con- necticut and Merrimac rivers.
 Mental Health State Dept.
 Hartford, Conn.,, April 8.-(UP)- Gov. Wilbur L. Cross today stood behind" a recommendation of the state mental diseases commission for creation of a state department of mental health.
 We must begin to get after the young as soon as they show signs of mental illness" the governor told the 29th annual meeting of the Connecticut Society for Mental Hy- giene.
 A full-time commissioner would l head the proposed new department, Gov. Cross said, assisted by a coun- Gil of six.
 'There is great work for a com- mission of this kind to perform in the state," he said.
 Onhcers elected by the association were:
 Dr. Charles Edward A. Winslow, New Haven, president; Dr. c. c. Burlingame. Hartford. vice-presi- dent: Charles A. Moser, Stamford, vice-president: John Daniell,, New