The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-31
GOVERNOR IN
 JOvIAL MOOD
Undecided on Future POli= tical Career; Grateful to
 Public for Support

A kindly man who happened to be governor of Connecticut for four successive terms of two years eacn gave an interview the other day to Reporter Moses Berkman of the Hartford Times.
 Governor Wilbur L. Cross, student of Thomas JefferSon'S teachings, professor of the language of his race, is about to retire as chief ex- ecutive of the state, making place for a Republican who rode to success in the foibles of voting which some- times occur.
 Regrets
 Victim of the to-do of political contest which since has dwindled to regret that Connecticut's Uncle Toby" during the immediate years, at least, will not carry the states prestige throughout the land, Gov ernor Cross retires January 4th to his New Haven home, a private citi- zen.
 But he told the reporter: I'm ac- lively interested in the problems of government It doesn't look as though am going to stay in | politics, but you never can tell" So much is cryptic. And add the statement:
 T am a free lance now. can talk as I like. am a Democrat. swear by Thomas Jefferson. I may swear by Andrew Jackson, too, at the Jackson day dinner to be held soon."
 The campaign is past.
 Are you going to run again?"
 T don't know whether will" was the answer.
 He will return to his first love, for the present anyhow, and will resume work on his famous text book, now in use in many colleges here and abroad, ''The Development of the English Novel" RenewS Record
 But the governor recalls what leg islation has accomplished through his eight years has done in the state, especially the social legislation, a departure from the old regime of dictatorship by the Republican in- terests. There has been change, he believes, in the political tone of gov ernment, epitomized by development, of the labor department from 6 political organization" to its pres ent services to the state.
 He spoke of the work done with unemployment compensation, well fare, old age assistance, expansion of humane institutions, the bank re- ceivership law, and executive C. l. trol over the budget, much of this delayed in development by Repub- lican control of the General Assem- ply during his first terms. Had the Republicans accepted his tax pro- posals in the first two terms. there would have been no $12,000,000 state deficit, the governor told the re- porter.
 A program for tuberculosis pre- yention and improvement of mental health should be inaugurated by the state, he feels, in order to solve the problem of multiplying costs of state institutions.
 G. O. F. Support Governor Cross has changed his mind about the Republicans as re- lateS to those of the last General Assembly, however, to the extent that he differentiateS between the Republican party of 1880 and the new RepublicaniSm.
 In the last session rot as good support from the Republicans as from my own party" he told the Hartford Times political reporter. He added:
 T thank the citizens of the state for their general support of the measures have advocated. I hope these measures are all conducive to better government and the welfare of all who live in Connecticut"
 For the future of Connecticut's most distinguished free lance," he has nothing definite to predict. But there is the possibility that rising tides of sentiment lay eventually result in a showdown be- tween forces fighting for free en- terprise and those advocating the totalitarian state, he said of the gen. eral political picture.
 Of President Roosevelt, he remark ed that the administration policies might have prevented the country from going oyer to something else in the great unrest of 1882. The president has met the difficulties as they came up," he said. Private Citizen So, January 4th, Dean Emeritus Wilbur L. Cross resumes as a D. :. vate citizen amid tributes from so many sources that wonder comes oyer the fantasy of the political whirlwind in early November. For the tributes to Copnecticut's chiei executive come not alone from his party constituents, but generally, from political enemies. too, on this, the eve of his retirement. Such is consensus. For the gov- ernor's part, the ..laSt interview. " quoted above. is given in brief ~r--~-------~--