The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-25
Inside News on
 State Politics
BY EDWARD ,. RYAN

IUo StHtS Se1laVS tOudy OOAA- flrmed the appointment of Cor neIius Danaher of Meriden for the nost as labor commissioner of the state for @ period of four years.
 MT. Danaher will succeed Jo- seph M. Tone, the present com missioner.
 The confirmation of MT. Dan- aher was forecast last evening by Edward J. Ryan, political com- mentator and columnist for the Waterbury Democrat.
 Ryan also said that Chairman ,. Francis Smith and minority leader of the state Joseph Downes would be unable to get the bloc of l7 Democratic senators to oppose Danaher's confirmation. Four Democratic senators voted for the confirmation just as Ryan said they would.
 Our hats go off to Governor Raymond E. Baldwin for having the courage to milk the sacred COW of the General Assembly, the highway department.
 The Governor needs about $3,- 100000 of the highway funds with which to balance his maintain ance budget and he proposes to get 1t from this COW which has been privately tethered for many years, thanks to the Farmers and the state Grange.
 The Governor can expect some fancy wire pulling on the part of the 800 state employees who are scheduled to receive their walking papers next July. An attack by such a group, if they band tOgeth- CT, has large number of political complications. Civil Service, Me rit system, or what have you won't keep those employees out of poli- tics.
 Who is the author of the bill which Is Supposed" to be sched- uled to be assigned to the com- mittee on Burroughs and Cities. And which would establish a Commission to run the affairs of the city finally. Am I laughing wonder if the Trail Balloon" or what have you, fooled anybody '.
 
 The McKeSson probe got into the legislature the other day !. Rep. Ben Tonkonow of Meriden has presented a resolution which was amended by Hugh M. Alcorn IT. majority leader of the Repub- licans in the lower house, at pres ent assistant prosecutor in the Waterbury conspiracy trials.
 Tonkonow wanted the Attorney General to investigate. Mir. AL corn suggested that the matter of investigation and recommendation of any loop holes in connection with laws which developed from the McKessOn case be referred to the states attorney.
 
 There developed a debate be- tween Alcorn and Tonkonow when the latter proposed that sums of money paid lobbyists by the Mo Kesson Go. be investigated to de- termine whether any of it was used to influence legslaton at the last sesson of the Geneal Assembly This, of course, was 8 direct refer nee to Harry E. Mackenzie and Charles E. Williamson.
 Mfr. Alcorn bitingly referred tc the fact that MT. Tonkonow ought to know about this angle since he voted for the Fair Trade Act, a measure locally and nationally sponsored by F. Donald Coster- Musica.
 "YeS, and if I knew anything about it." said Tonkonow, "you would have had me before the Wa terbury Grand Jury"
 Senator John l.. Sullivan of New Britain tho relation to the famous fighter) impresses me as being the most radical minded legislator in the upper branch of the legisla- ture.
 Looking over the faces of the IT Democratic senators one thing that impresses itself upon your mind Chat is if you know politics., is the absence of ex-Senator Joseph Cooney of Hartford. If Cooney was in the Senate this year things might look brighter for the Dem- ncrats.
 And speaking of the outlook for the Democrats, so far as this ses- sion of 1889 is concerned. I am thoroughly convinced that they could accomplish as much in the way of legislation if they stayed home.
 The job as the chief of the Naugatuck police department has developed into a three cornered battle. However John T. Sheridan s definitely in the lead at this writing.
 One of Waterbury and Nauga- tuck's best loved barristers is slated for a promotion The sttorney of whom I refer is John McDOnough.
 Charles Summa is convinced that he has the out-and-out back ing of Charles Arrigoni, president pro-tem of the Senate and Attor- ney General Francis Pallotti for his bid to knock over the To- cal judgeship for the police court. Don't bet too much on 1t Charlie .,.. there might be court reform bill passed .. then what.
 w caused me to smile when l read where the 17 Democratic senators would line up in OppO- sition to the confirmation of Cor nc1ius Danaher of Meriden as the next Labor Commissioner for this state By the time you read this column the action on the