New Britain Herald Newspaper, January 7, 1925, Page 10

A B L O AT Hiram Bingham, inaugurated this | this purpose we maintain law nlhl'm‘ persuading any of them to di- Afternoon as Connecticut's 65th gov- ernor, In his inauguarl address spent considerable time lauding the exist- number of recommendations, among ‘which was the usual hope for lower taxes, The text of lows: Mr. President, Mr. Speaker and Members of the General Assembly The Constitution of Conuecticut provides that the governor ‘“shall from time to time give to the Gon- eral Assembly information of the ate of the government and re- commend to their conslderation such measures as he shall deem ex- pedlent.” It has long been the cus- tom to regard this occasion as on of those referred to in the Constitu- tion, In preparing this messas been mindful of the fuct tragle and unferesecn clreu altered the ideas of a' majority the people of this state as to manner in which they wished to serve them during tl two years. 1 suppose ti does a lleutenant-gove: his address fol 1 have that a coming iom to wor fail GOV. HIBAM BINGHAM ndulge in the hope that some day his fellow citizens may select him as the governor of our heloved state, the highest honor w its people can confer. Believing as I do in Connecticut and in the princi- ples of state sovereignty and state responsibility, it gave me the great- est possible satisfaction to receive the honor of an election as gov- ernor. I looked forward to being able to confer with you, for months to come, as to such measures and appointments as might best succeed in enabling our people to secure Justice and enjoy freedom. Unfor- tunately for these plans, a state convention of the same party which bad given me a nomination to this office, unanimously asked me to ac- cept a nomination less dignity, though possibly of no | less opportunity for public serv: As one who has for many years be- lieved _in the Connecticut system of represutative government wherein the people are accustomed to indi- cate their wishes through properly chosen representativ I felt in duty bound to accept the decision of that convention. It is known to you that at a special clection held December sixteenth I elected to fill the vacancy caused by the sudden death of the senior senator from Connecticut, the Honorabhle Frank B. Brandegee. Although there is prevents a citizen from simultaneously a federal and state office, and although t gov ernor of a great neighboring state at one time did hold the position of United States senator and of governor for a period of neart a year, it does not apprar to me that such an act is in with sound views of the lationship between tl leral and state governments. Consequently it is my intention, before qualifying as & United States senator, to resign from the office of gove Our peonstitution provides ti case of the resignation of governor the lieutenant-governor shall ercise the powers auth pertaining to the office of ernor.” Consequently in aration of this message seemed to me proper to lieutenant-gove from making & suggestions or recommendations for your consideration as do not meet with his *approval. Furthermore, I have omitted certain ects in which he is particularly interested, in the belief that he will see fit at some later date to transmit to you his own personal recom in regard to these as we matters. He is known to He s thoroughly; acquainted the needs of the ‘state. My edge of his ability and I @cter leads me to believe t it is his pleasure to you will give care thetic attention to mendations and suggestions. Law and Order lawmakers of ( from the earliest times to discover those true principles which ought to be bodted in the written law. In republic the law is the real ruler. We do not believe in giving power to any one man. We I Jearned to mistrust the weakness of human nature. We are proud of the fact that our republic is one of laws and not of men. We | in & government based on rather than on t meaning hun %o achicve r sire for a sm governmenta! leads our ci powers to government bureaus. forget that history tea t bureaucracy tends towards and works away from This nation was establishe der to secure liberty and justice. For g8ls purpose we try to discover those laws which are right and m‘ e. which holding no law a proper re- 1 the I it has consult n all of The nnectic a rig ou e wish for a post of | accordance | AR e, A AR 4. Y15 S L) i order. Soclety rests on law, Orderly government cannot exist without obuedience to law, It is our duty to minish or decrease thelr activities causes overcrowding in the capitol and the adjoining bulldings. There 1o all in our power to se¢ that the [Is not at present sufficlent room for ing state agencles, and also made a ! constitution of the United States,|the proper careying on of the dee and that of our state, laws reguluting our republic be re- spected and . Anything which leads disrespect for law and disregard for enforcement strikes at the roots of institu- tions, enforc to its New Laws suld that the American Union make number laws in period s a and more to take 10 of positive law | human which | \pered by legal ous reformers, giving much thought to extent to which wise public pol- may properly permit of human activity to be left or community re- : anxious for the passuge islation. Let us remem- is a point beyond which raint cannot be carried wcing too great a strain iinery and agencies ot In our zeal for right- justice must not and bur- expense of It states of the a prodiglous every bier tendency over int is frequently nia There more ot t action were formerly unh restrictions. without icy some control hout the cousness and build up administrative caucratic power at the liberty and the proper, freedom of the cit n atest fo behind any trul and y 18 free alism, ¥ ma ent we individual he gr eative divid When in a ne Dogs it law is proposed let further curtail in- liberty? TIs it required for aintenance of public safety order? Will it encourage self- relfance in the individual citizen or 1it lead him to become more de- n the governinent? Wil us dividy wil lent build up his respect for law and ad him to pra ence to law or will it tend to make him de- the law and seek means for evading it? Will it tend to foster his loyalty to the principles of rep- | resentative nment, for which Con t stood for so many these ques- | ice o years? The answers to tions should enable you to deter- mine the wisdom of proposed new ation. President Coolidge was | | right when he said, “We do not| need more laws.” This is not to say | at our laws are perfect or that do not need to be improved, it does point to the unwisdom th 1 t they but of that indiscriminate recourse to ation which needs to be . Let me urge upon you the y of having our General | Assembly marked by an absence of | public safe the introduction of measures which the passaeg of such a law. Surely we are not demanded by public opinion | or at least by the wishes of a con- | siderable part of our electorate, Let us stand firmly agai the domina- tion of our government by organized minorities, no matter how ably they conduct their propaganda. Remem- I'ber the injunction to prove things; and hold fast that which | is good, he Treasurer The very great misfortune which | hefell the state through the aston- ishing activities of a former state treasurer, lc state might be among the were relatively heavy Fortunately our bi-partisan system prove did safegua man; losers, audit rd and our auditors of | public accounts de » praise for | their success in protecting the state It appears that the books of | responsibilities and all| is demanded by the public safgty. us to fear that the|should recefve earnest consideration, itself to be a SIvk-n-; room for parking and all the | partments which have been author- fzed General Assem- blies, Whether you will ‘find that certain departments can be cur- tailed with advantage te the people of the state and an increase in the duties of town governments is an in- teresting speculation. In any case, {t is important that the General Assembly should glve serious con- sideration to the present crowded condition of the capitol, Department of Motor Vehicles During the past two years the department of motor vehicles has made most satlsfactory progress.-It is recognized throughout the country as a model of efficicncy and erviceability. We all know of the extraordina and phenominal growth in the use of motor vehicles. The problems which are daily con- fronting this department are diffi- cult and many of them absolutely new. The number of serious and by previous and county now the highway department more power to limit the weight of vehicles on different classes of roads and to restrict their speed 80 as to pre- serve the highways for the use of the largest number and to safe- guard travel, It is certainly impos- sible for the state to build all of its highways so that each can carry maximum loads. This would be a tremendous waste 6f money, Pos- sibly you can devise a classifica- tion of our highways which would limit our expenditures on certain rouds. It is said that ninety per cent of the traffic can be well served by a macadam road, while ten per cent demands higher type pave- , ments. ‘Tt seems reasonable that the cost of bullding the higher type of | pavement should be distributed among those vehicles which require | the additional strength. The whole subject of motor transportation nndl the building of roads to meet the demand is one requiring your most careful consideration, In addition to the main trunk lines It is most important to de- velop the so-called state-ald and second class roads. There is nothing which is of greater benefit to those | Similar bureaus have alrcady bee of small mobile police units which are on active duty continually, So far as 'l know, the best ma- chinery for law enforcement by state authority is the State Police Force. 1t is not balked by municipal or county lines, It can protect the state highwhys. It can ald In the enforcement of state luws and in the prevention and detection of crime. It commands and reccives respect, It descrves our support. There is also need for a State Bureau of Criminal Identification which shall be a clearing house for records pertaining to such evidence as finger-prints, photographs, ete. established in several other statey and It s important that we provide as promptly as possible for this im- portant ald in protecting our citizens against criminal activities, Natlonal Guard We aré particularly fortunate in the character of our National Guard, After being reorganized in accord- nn(' with the National Defense act the Connecticut National Guard has taken a position among the leaders of the entire country. In the mat- ter of percentage of strengt@it has fatal accidents which are happen. citizens who live in small communi- | been passed by only one other atate. ing to our citizens through the in- crease in the use of motor vehicles is not diminishing. The most bril- iant minds of the scientific world have spent generations in studying lisease, in order to prolong human It scems a cruel fate that in oht for life, while we are in one particular, we are z in another. There 18 no e field tor far-sighted legisla fon than in the possibilities for so regulaling motor vehicle traffic as to permit of its proper growth while at the same time protecting our citizens from injury and death, | Our railroad corporations long ago learned the lesson that no one | who used intoxicating liquor should | opcrate a train, Yet many trains do not go as fast as it is possible to | operate a motor vehicle on our | highways. A question for you to consider is whether the safety of | our citizens would not be materially | advanced by increasing the mini- mum penalties for those who oper- | automobiles without a proper | license or when under the influence | of intoxicating liquor. There has been a natural feeling of resentment against the passage | of any law which would require the | holder of an operator's license to produce it whenever required to do so by a properly accredited officer of the law. It scems to me that the time lLias come for you to consider | whether or not the promotion of | vy does not now require ate cannot permit the enormous num- ber of injuries and the large num- ber of fatalities to continue with- out making strenuous efforts to conserve the lives of our citizens, There is no question that individual | liberty must be curtailed when this | Highway Department Our highway department is in g00d hands and is being admirably conducted. The codlfication of high 1y laws is a matter which, will be brought to your attention and | The establishment along state Ligh- | ways of a building line is also re- | commended. This should provide | outside of the | highway limits and in case of fu- ture widening there would be no expensive bulldings to be torn down, There i no question but that in the of the state are well kept| future state highways will have to | > methods used to check up the different departments and in. | stitutions are such as to guard the against loss. One loop-hole, however, has been discovered. It | is recommended that this be ‘closed by the passage of a law which would r the state treasurer of being sc respon for the se- lection of state taries and [ which would also make it improper for him 1o ¢ te moneys in a bank witl n- vely state ¥ which he o department 1t is also estment board be « al nended recon would be to have investment of statc Commission of Sculpture n to work on the south th atues of in cing T ho were dist | century. It is ¢ Bu bronz rnor World w State Departments constant growth of certain The | made at this time for obtalning the | be | wider, Provisions should way. Where there | is sufficient traffic to warrant ft, | provisions might well be made for f pavement widths which would provide four lanes, one each | for slow and fast moving traffic go- | ing in cither direction. It is recom- mended that in all cases the width of the right of way determined on should not only provide for esti- | mated future highway traffic but | should also prov for pedestrian . In the old days, when coun- dusty, there was t-path at the side that pedestrians were cr of being run over traffic. Our modern ines and state-aid roads are and offer a firm foot- » Furthermgre, struction of mew roads has y obliterated the old foot- paths. Conse y pedestrians are tempted to use that portion of the road intended by the state for the use of hicles When two 1 after dark it is fre- sible for the drivers er there are any pedes- at moment walking at he road. As a result cen a number of fatal 1 this number is like . In view of the fact that has now relieved the towns ten of keeping in repair 1k lines and state-aid roads, geem reasonable for the ) providessidewalks or foo usually necessary right o ure were Iy a of the road so rarcly in de by passing for destrians, the cc quent vehic quen to see trians a e state pedestrians, Wil be e ing traffic, trafic steady ic high- purposes. towns, su zers of pa most striking from the of p mmercial en our roads were first improved to enable stage coaches and to them, ost without exceptior th the advent of the railroad the ssity {0y roads diminished t was possil community ovide for all who the per- the commercial and the steadily increasing heavy motor trucks there s before us the question it is right to tax the peo- e state for the benefit of nsport interests who for purposes of gain prosperity and the rative farming de- on the ability trucks to use same time every « that it is the heavy mo- which do the greatest lamage to our roads and heaviest expenditure for use vsSe8 use 0y were o1l roads. motor oy motor At th the cause gorpect those \ghich are Weeng. For | state departments and the difficwly | repairs. It may be necessary to give | tages of this law, you may well con- | amount of capital and very material- ties which do not happen to be on the main arteries of traffic. | Another serious question de- manding your attention is whether the frequent use of our roads by the commercial vehicles of neigh- boring states s a proper burden for our gjtizens to bear. Every large city in the states north and e of us maintains daily truck service across Connecticut to New York city. It seems to me that permitting commercial vehicles to use our roads free of expense places an un- necessary burden on our taxpayers. | The passage of legislation to remedy this situation is recomunended. Department of Labor. Our State Department of Labor has become increasingly useful and efticient in dealing with the diverse and perplexing questions that arise Lween empioyers and employes, In this age of machinery the safety of th public demands that adequate at- tention be paid to such matters. Our Inspectors are recognized both by manufacturers and operatives as be- ing of genuine service in promoting justice and happiness. Workmen's Compensation Act, It appears that the Workmen's Compensation Act passed by the General Aesembly some ten years ago has been of great benefit and has relieved much suffering and im- proved the conditions of employment very materially, During the past two years the fnsurance companies, and self-insurers, report having paid out to sufferers something over five mil- lion dollars. The act at present ex- cludes from {its benefits many citizens who work for employers who do not come under ifs provisions, 1t ap- | pears, however, that a considerable number of such employers, realizing the mutual advantages of the act, have voluntarily insured their em- ployes against misfortune. With a better understanding of the advan- bet sider the advisabllity of (‘x(cn‘ll“g“ its provisions so that it shall cover a larger number of employes than are at present protected. Insurance Commission. The insurance interests of Connec- ticut are among its most important industries. There is no state in the Union which offers to so many thou-.| sands of pcople all over the world a greater and assistance in times of disaster | and misfortune. We are most fortu- | nate in having €o many great com- panies located he Not only do they furnish thousands of our citi- zens with attractive employment, they also bring into our state a large | assurange of production | 1y assist our taxpayers in sharing the burdens of State Government. Qur Insurance Department recognizes these facts and desires to foster these enterprises and be of the utmost as- stance to thm. | Public Utilitics, | Our Public Utilities Commission | has performed its duties ably and efficiently. It is in effcct a court for the hearing of a special class of | cases. It should be given control over the operation, within the bor- dera of this state, of interstate trans- portation by public service motor ve ricles. This will requirc the clarify- ing and strengthening of the present status. Street railways should Le obliged procure a certificate of public convenience and necessity be- t being permittedl to operate in new and unchartered territory. Yhis would be a protection not only the ‘public but to existing transp tation fagilities, Street railway com- panies shouid be permitted to aly don nonpaying lines or portions thereof, subject to the approval of the Public Utilities Commission, after yroper public hearings. Public s ice motor vehicle transportation companies should in fairness to oth- r transportation agencies be quired to pay similar taxes. State Police, The organization of our Statc re- Po- + lice Force has proceeded along sound is due in notor ve large pi icles as criminal activi caslly be conducted on nes, thus making it impossible for ral police officers to control crime , it becomes increasingly portant to an efficient Foree. Furthermore, izcs the need of traffic our trunk lines, particularly at times | when there is a tendency to the hospitality of the state. In view of the steady increase in the num- | ber of motor cars and in their use, ! is difficult to see how we can meet situation thus created except by | an increase in our State Police Force. | Every effort should be made toward cooperation between the State Gov- | crnment and local governments and between the State’ Government and he National Government. Care must be taken to sce that there is no in- fringement upon the rights of our | municipalities. Our smaller com- | munities recognize the importance | of being able to call the assis- | tance of the emergency, brings toget visitors from Sinee can now so state-wide way un- State every one real- regulation on have for when some loeal event number ot ar, u all over | tion, | management | to commit In this record we sce evidence that our National Guardsmen, by thelr fine and unselfish devotion to duty, are maintaining the splendid tradi- tions which have always placed Con- necticut in the forefront of every movement for defending our coun- try against its enemies. From the carliest days down through the World War, Connecticut's sons have always shown a fearless disregard of personal safety whepever the call came for volunteers In the cause of the common defense. At the last sion of the General Assembly a new and comprehensive National Guard act was passed and Is proving to be most satisfactory. The work of our troops has called forth the highest commendation on the part of the Federal army officers who were present in the capacity of instruc- tors and observers, Our armories have becn kept in excellent repair and the armory situation, with cer- tain exceptions, is satisfactory. The New Haven armory was con- structed over 40 ycars ago and was never suitable for the purposes for which it was intended. its construc- tion being rather that of a store- house than an armory, An impera- tive need for repairs resulted in an appropriation of $20,000 by the last legislature, but this only served to cover the changes in the old struc- ture required by the fire laws of the city. The roof is in bad shape, the supporting trusses are weak and cer- tain parts of the building have al- ready been condemned and are not in use. The dampness is so great that military equipment cleaned one day becomes mildewed the next. In fact the quarters are so unsuitable that a portion of the Federal equip- ment belopging in New Haven has to be stored in Hartford, where it would not be promptly available in case of need. ‘While various appropriations have heen made for the company armories in different parts of the state in re- cent years, the fact remains that New Haven, owing to its accessibiiity from every part of the state, should have had years ago a first class armory, adequately equipped. The present armory is inadequate, un- sanitary, and* in bad physical condi- Further appropriations for its rehabilitation would be wasted. A new structure in a suitable location is a pressing need at the present time if this important part of our state military organization is to be maintained. Soldiers” Ald The soldiers’ fund of $£2,500,000, the interest and income of which s paid to needy soldiers of the World war and their dependents, has met with general approval. Our sol- diers’ hospital at Noroton Heights is ably conducted and is giving well- degerved care to many . aged vet- erans. It might be well to transfer to it some of the soldiers now cared for in state hospitals. Penal Institutions The state prison and the Cheshire reformatory under their present are in good physical condition and performing in a high- Iy satisfactory manner the dutics re, quired of them by statute, The spirit in which they are being con- lneted not only makes for protec- st criminals but also aims possible at the reforms re-sstablishment of those have fheen he problem of the proper segregation of those who through Al or physical disease are con- rd 28 members of the criminal s iy one which is worthy of your carnest consideration. State Farm For Women During the past two s State Form for Women has subjected to a considerable amount of criticism. At present it is possible to the State I'arm many classes of It is of doubtful wisdom to permit hardened chagacters 60, and 70, years old to be sent to an institution de- signed primarily for girls of 16 and 17. We all of us recognize the great importance of protecting society against the dissolute, the criminal and the insane, as well as protecting against them- bringing about their and reform, whenever this be possible. In providing machinery, Towever, for securing desired ends we should be careful not to adopt measures that may be liable to result in abuse of power or in- » to some unfortunate, t to my atten- tion that the law providing for com- mitments to the Connectitcut State Farm for Women designates as one class lJiable to such commitment adult women who are convicted of. or plead guilty to, intoxication. This medns that upon conviction of in- toxication a woman may be de- tdined in- this institution for three the been e cases, even these selves and cure unfortunates these years. This seems a harsh provision.® especially in view of the fact that the general penalty for intoxication days. Furthermore, at the present time, Y to fundamental principles of our law. a judge or & cont the committed to their | too | period which may extend to three years, without giving the accused the opportunity of trlal by jury. There 1s no evidence that this power has been abused. At the same time, sirce we belleve In a government of laws rather than a government of . it 1s suggested that the law in this particular case be changed 50 as to prevent the possibility of the ex- erclse of petty tyranny on the part of an unjust judge. We have never recognized in Connecticut the legal right of a judge to deprive an adult ‘male of his liberty for a period of Inm»e years without glying him the opportunity of trial by jury. I can see no reason why the same prineiple | should not apply to adult females. It is therefore recommended that the law in question be so amended that this discrimination between the sexes be remedied. Long Lane Farm Long Lane Farm, formerly the Connecticut Tndustrial School for | Girls, at Middletown fs continuing its splendid service and, although ‘eon- fronted with many problems of a most difficult nature, s doing splendid work, It is, however, a sad commentary on our modern civill- zation to learn of little children who are deserted or neglected by thelir parents. There is no way in which the individual citizens can do more for state service than by alding those unfortunate girls and boys whose unnatural or thoughtless par- ents cause them to bhecome the in- mates of state or county institutions. Connecticut School For Boys The Connecticut School for Boys at Meriden has made an enviable name for itself. It {s most encourag- ing to learn that the very great ma- Jjority of delinquent boys who have been sent here in the past have be- come useful citizens. The number of graduates of this school who have later been committed to the Cheshire reformatory of the state's prison at Wethersfield is less than four “per cent, It is doubtful whether the |state has ever made better invest- ments than the appropriations for the Meriden school. In this con- nection it is worthy of remark that more delinquents come from citles, |rather than towns. In other words, under modern conditions the coun- try-bred boy has a better chance in life than the city-bred boy. State Parks The constantly increasing use of our state parks and playgrounds | testifies to the fact that more and more of our people are learning to |appreciate and enjoy the country. It should be our policy to provide, in- sofar as we can, forests and streams, meadows and beaches, whete those Wwho must live in crowded cities most of the time can occasionally secure healthful recreation, Timely expendi- tures for the cxtension and mainte- nance of our state parks are in the | nature of investments whose returns [lis in the health and happiness of our citizens. At the same time, as is true of so many other things which we should like to have, the amount which we can spend on such matters all comes from taxpayers, and the burden of taxation must be kept as low as is consistent with good public policy. On the other hand, there is no way in which gen- erous-hearted citizens have done, and can do, more to increase the | happiness of present and future gen- erations than by gifts of land suit- able for parks and playgrounds. Billboards As more people are coming to ap- preciate the beauties of nature and, | by taking motor trips, to seck the {enjoyment of country landscapes in |order to rest and refresh themselves | from the strenuous drive of this age of machinery, they are becoming more resentful of such sign-boards as are placed so as to disfigure the countryside and make it impossible |to sec and enjoy beautiful scenery. |No one objects to those billboards which sereen dumps or unsightly backyards, It is, however, true that nature has richly endowed Connecti- cut with charming landscapes. Our variegate: !ing rivers in the salt meadows, our | forest-clad, rock-ribbed hills, our noble oaks and elms,—these are in- | deed a rich inheritance which has brought and will bring to our state thousands of vacationists and home seckers, We are spending millions {of dollars in buildmg roads which |are used as often as possible by citi- | 7ens who wish to enjoy attractive drives. How often are thgy frritat- ed, when trying to calch a glimpse of some beautiful piece of scenery, to have the view suddenly obstructed {by a tremendous billboard * which would thrust their attention back from the pursult of happiness to their material needs and the objects of commerce and industry. Some American cities do not ajlow any billboar« Some states in Union forbid advertising signs on all trunk highways, = Others are desig- | nating certain roads as “scenic high- | ways" which must not be disfigured. |In the interest of sound public pol- icy, it seems highly desirable that some means should be found to pre- serve one of Connecticut's greatest ssets from being damaged by those who would thrus{ forward at inop- portune moments that -which they have for sale, Surely there are enough proper ways of advertising land enough suitable means of bring- |ing wares to the attention of a great | consuming public without ‘disfiguring the Jandscape. After all, we would [not tolerate utilizing the State Capi | tol for advertising purposes, no mat- |ter how much revenuc the state | might derive from that purpose, We | would not allow its'famous dome to be surrqunded by huge signs, no | matter how much this might benefit | us ns taxpayers. We would not tol- iwra!n an advertising sign on the Me- {morial Arch. Why, then, should we | tolerate it at a bend In the road of | one of our beautiful state highways where nature has provided a spendid oak, or a rich meadow, or the sight of distant hills to gladden our hearts and refresh our spiritual needs. If it is true, as Shakespeare says, that ate Police in times of | for adult men is not more than 30 |in the country we may find “tongues lin trees, books in the running | brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everyfhing,” why let commerce even from neighborjog states. There | justice of the peace may deprive an |ruin it with billboards? It is for you is'no question of the real efficiency |adult woman of her liberty for & [to consider what means may best shore line, the meander- | the | and most justly be employed in rid- ding the state of a nuisance and at the same time dealing Justly by those whose property rights are in- volved, Tuberculbsis Sanatoria It is a pleasure to bring to ybur attention the splendid record of the State Tuberculosis commission and the institution under its care. Con- nectictut has kept abreast of the most progressive spirit of the times In generously caring for such of her clfizens as have been stricken by this dread disease. Our fight against tuberculosis is as succeasful as that of any other community in the world. Other states are’ beginning to realize that our idea of entrust- ing the anti-tuberculosis campaign to a small pald commission and of holding that commission responsible for doing all that is humanly possi- ble to stamp out tuberculosis is the best plan yet devised for this pur- pose, It Is interesting to note that in 1849, the first year for which re- llable statistics are to be had, the death rate in Connecticut from tu- berculosis of the lungs was 276 per 100,000 inhabitants. In the past year it was only 78 per 100,000 in- habitants, The tuberculosis journals of this country and of Mngland give frequent recognition to the prom- inence of our state sanatoria-in the matter of research and correct methods. Our citizens are particularly in- tercsted In the work being done for children. At the last session of the General Assembly the question came up of enlarging Seaside Sana- torilum at Niantic. It has a front- age of 97 feet on a beautiful white beach at the eastern end of Crescent Beach. It was the first state insti- tutlon of its kind in America. It uses the power of coffinuous sun baths to cure bone and glandulay tuberculosis. It is always full. There is a long waiting list, which would be much longer were there any chance of securing the admission of more patients in the near future. The curative value of sun bathing and rest is generally recognized. Switzerland, in the town where the method started, there are now sana- toria, public and private, that ac- commodate several thousand pa- tlents. The Seaside Sanatorium ac- commodates less than sixty. -The last general assembly made an ap- propriation of $100,000 for the erec- tion of a new building and of $25,- 000 for the purchase of land. The State Tuberculosis Commission and the state comptroller were directed to acquire such adjacent land as the commission requires. In order to comply with the expressed will of the general assembly the com- | the state's right of eminent domain. In November, 1923, all the papers in the case were handed over to the attorney general, together with the unanimous vote of the commission that it required a strip of land 200 fect wide and east of the present property. The property has not yet been secured. The state’s plan for helping additional scores of children to attain health and happiness hds not been carried out. The imme- diate consideration of whatever leg- islation is needed to enable the state to dncrease the facilities for caring for these little sufferers is strongly recommended. Fire-Proof Buildings. One of the greatest sources of anxiety with our state institutions 1s in relation to fire. wise to adopt 2 definitz plan of re- organization and reconstruction so that in the course of time the fire hazard could be largely eliminated and the good name of the state for safeguarding its wards be preserved. | Notwithstanding our sincere desire for economy, we must 1ecognize the necessity for making ample provi- sion for the care of those unfor- tunates who are either physically or | mentally disabled. In the future, | all appropriations for buildings in- | tended for the use of the state's wards should be large enough to enable the ercction of fire-proof | structures. State Hospitals. It has been well known to the | people of this state that for some | time past our institutions for the | care of mental defectives and those | afflicted with mental disease have been over-crowded. Although near- ly one quarter of those admitted are eventyally discharged, there are two factors which influence the recovery | rate unfavorably, namely, the num- | bér of those who have been men- | tally sick for a long period of time and.the commitment of aged pa- tients. The question arises as to whether the time has not come for the establishment of a state infirm- ary for the care of mild chronic | cases of mental disease, such as senile dementia and the like. There {are two or three hundred such cases now in our state hospitals. They could be transferred with advantage | to a state infirmary if one were in operation, thus releasing an equal | number of beds in these institutions for the care of acute cases which | .need the specialized treatment there | provided, 1In addition, this infirm- | ary might also serve as a hospital for the treatment of chronic and incurable physical diseases which our general hospitals can no longer receive, and would {increase their abllity to alleviate acute cases. There should be some remedy to stop the ever increasing custom of commiting to our state hespitals | | | | | who have committed crimes, or who | present not to be considerqd as insane. It | is poor policy to mix criminals with | the civil insane. At tha close of the | biennial period there remained in the state hospital at Middletown a total of 319 patients who had been | committed by police courts and courts of criminal jurisdiction. This hospital does not possess proper facilities to care for dangerous criminal cases. It is possible that | these should be provided for In ! some other {mstitution. Further- | more, persons acquitted of crime on the ground of Insanity should not be sentenced to a state hospital for a definite term, as is provided at the present time by statute. Neither courts nor medical authorities are able to prediet what period of time may elapse befora the individual could be declared cured. Under our In mission was obliged to call to its aid ' It would seem | 1 i 1 | | for the Insane defective delinquents | conduct disorders” and are | | blindness, | costs | greater, | age attendance of pupils in both ele- present law the state hospitals are obliged to discharge such an indie vidual at the termination of hie sen- tence and to send him out into mo- clety, fréquently no better nft xicn- tally than when he was conimnitted, The criminal insans, sithough not deserving of punishmeni, shouid be segregated from the community une til such time as competent avthoer. itles on mentai hvglens are wiliing to assure the stats that theso un- fortunates are harralesy and . may safely be returned to compiote lib- erty. 4 In view of the extrémoly satisfuc- tory results which haye been wchieved by our State Tuberculosis Commission, a amall bady of paid commissioners operating under far- sighted statutes, I recommend for your consideration the establishment of a similar commission for mental digease, If there were placed under its jurlsdiction all state Institutions for mental defectives’it would be greatly to the advantage of the state. This is sald in no spirit of criticism of these institutions as they now exist, but rather in the belief that since it is generally accepted that the state board of education does well to have charge of all state nor- mal schdols, trade schools and the other education interests conducted by the state, and since our five state tuberculosis sanatoria have been conducted successfully under this plan, there appears to be no reason why the state hospitals for the in- sane and feeble-minded would not profit by a similar plan. Just as wide latitude in the conduct of the local institutions is accorded to the superintendents of the various tuber- culosis sanatoria, so similar latitude could be accorded, under such a commission, to the superintendents of our state hospitals. At the same time, in justice to the trustees and superintendents of the various in- stitutions it must be said that they have been conscientious and self- sacrificing in their devotion to duty and that the commission whose es- tablishment is herein recommended is only suggested because it is be- lieved to be in the interest of sound public policy. Medical Legislation. A series of events in connection with the licensing of medical prac- titloners has brought vividiy to the fore the need for a revision of the Medical Practice Act of the state to the end that the health of our citi- zens may be protected in so far as this ean be done through legisiative action. We have learned to our shameithat Connecticut, has been re- garded as one of the casiest states in the union for an ill-educated, ig- norant medical practitioner to se- cure a license. By this license we officially encourage our citizens to support him financially in the ex- pectation of his having a certain amount of sclentific knowledge which could be brought to the re- lief of their bodily infirmities, There appears to be no reason why any one should be glven a state license to practice his theory of the healing arts unless he can give ade- quate assurance of his knowledge of those fundamental sciences on which all theory must rest. No matter how widely nor how differ- ently one may interpret the facts, no matter how far apart may be the theories in regard to the alleviation of suffering, no one should be per- mitted to receive the license of the state to practice as a physician un- less he gives evidence of a thorough knowledge of such subjects as anat- omy, and physiology, embryology and chemistry, and other similar sciences, which do not teach the- ories but fundamental facts. There is nothing which is of greater im- portance in the lawmaking ' duties which lie before you than a thor- ough consideration of this problem. Board of Education of the Blind Four years ago the genmeral as- sembly authorized the board of edu- jcatjon of the blind to enlarge the scope of its work, which 'up to that time had not been able to reach, more than eight per cent of the blind people of the state. The board was then authorized to undertake teach- ing with regard to the prevention of the placing ot qualified blind workers in indusffy, the sale of products made in the homes, ete. It is important that we should en- zble this board to undertake what seems to be a reasonable and help- ful program for all the blind people of the state. Education The past five years have seen a rapld increase in. educational ex- penditures. In Connecticut this in- crease has been about one hundred and thirty-five per cent. One cause of increased expenditures is found in certain. expansions or extensions of the educational program, inclnding adult education, physical education, and the. employment of school physicians, directors of physical edu- cation, and school nurses. To a large extent however it has been simply the natural result of a greatly en- larged enrolment, especially in high | schools, where the average agtend- ance has increased forty-six per cent during the period and where school are always proportionately This increase in the aver- mentary and high schools is a mat- ter for congratulation. Those who contend that the state should go further than it does in directing the educational policy of our citfes and towns would do well to.remember that while the statt grants for schcol purposes amount | to about one million and a half dol | 1ars annually. the annual expenditur by towns. for schools amounts twenty-fivé million dollars. Connecticut is anxfous that its f ture citizens should have healthy well-trained minds in heaithy, well trained bodies. Otherwise the jstat: will deteriorate. In view of this pos sible danger some thoughtful citi zens believe the state should assumc the entire responsibility of rearing and training its children. A pater palistic system of government ha obvious advantages, sithough they are more superficial than fundamen tal. As a matter ®f fact, the wel- fare of our children should be and is the chiet concern of their parents and guardians, and cannot be taken over by the state. Even though in some respects children may not be | (Continued on the Following Page)