The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-08
1941 General Assembly Faces Serious Problems
New Legislation Must Include Penalties For Sabotage -Ant=Bund Law Expected Among Other
 Features Listed

[ problems of housing, rent control and labor law adjustments popped into the foreground.
 Laws controlling rents and crack ing down on landlorIs prohteering quence of state-federal exsmina- ticn of the housing conditions in the state The federal government has inaugurated program to provide thousands of housing units for de- fense workers at important indus trial centerS, such as Hartford, Bridgeport, New London and New Haven, and private builders planned hundreds of others. Acute housing shortages already have been felt in some areas and complaints have been received at the Governors office. A special control commission might be established to stem any attempts at gouging.
 Creation of state labor relations act, patterned after the national act, had the support of the Connec- ticut Federation of Labor which was prepared to press for its passage in an acceptable" form. The fed- eration also supported proposals to broaden the unemployment com pensation and workmen's compen- sation acts to offer wider distribu- tion of benefits. It opposes anti strike legislation.
 Abolishment of the 10 p. m., cur few law for women entertainers, but retaining the restriction as concern ing women in mercantile or other business, was to go before the judi ciary and labor committees with strong support. State Labor Com missioner Cornelius J. Danaher was in favor of lifting the ban on en- tertainerS.
 Other bills to be offered the ses- sion provided:
 A proposal to foreclose liens on tax-delinquent property in an effort to aid communities collect approxi- mately $17,0G0,000 back taxes.
 Consolidation of the three divi. sions of the agriculture department.
 Establishment of . central iail farm to replace county jails.
 Enactment of uniform probation laws and extension of the juvenile court system to every county. Such courts now operate only in two counties-F Fairfield and Windham.
 Appointment of Judges
 Appointment of judges by the Governor, with approval of the leg islature. Appointments now are made through resolutions approved by the judiciary committee and &C., cepted by the General Assembly. The Governor nominates only to the superior and supreme court benches.
 Increasing the states income by 1egaliZing horse racing. The past two legislative sessions rejected racing bills-the 1897 session after . bin passed both Houses and was vetoed by the Governor.
 A reduction of automobile opera. tors licenses from $3 to $2 a year, with further reductions for licenses for longer periods.
 Revision of the election laws to provide for a primary, instead of convention system; extending the term of the Governor from two to four years ard holding gubernato- rial elections on of-Presid dential years; dropping from voting lists all persons who have not voted in four years.
 Repeal of the anti-birth control laws. This movement was revived as result of the closing of all clinics of the Connecticut Birth Control League last year following several arrests at Waterbury and the seizure of literature and appliances.
 Sales, income and dividend taxes, none of which was expected ee be approved.
 Redistricting of the states sesia- torial districts, increasing the num- Der of senators from S5 to S6.