Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-09-06

IL was found that precise determination OF
the exact number of days, or fragments Of
days, consumed by each member, was i'm.
practicable. Some members had put in
more days of ten hours each than the recess
embraced, and it was deemed that no injus-
tice would be done the state by following
the legislative precedent and allow each
member full pay during the recess. The re-
cess was necessary, the extra travelling ex-
penses necessary and it is difficult to see in
what respect both time and expenses were
not warranted" even under the strictest
construction of the statute. As the result
Of this recess, Caledonia added more than
$4,000 to It's taxable property, Orleans
100000, Franklin nearly as much more and
other counties smaller sums. A large in
crease in taxes will result during the next
four years, and the action Of the board in
paying its members for the highly meritori-
GUS services rendered during the recess will
find therein an ample warrant"
The hotel bills of the members were put
into their accounting of their expenses to
the committee. The chairman, Mr.. Pollard,
presented his, and insisted that its allow
ance was justified by the language Of the
law, "actual and necessary travelling ex-
penses," placing comma in the reading af-
ter actual, "a construction which is not
unreasonable, and which is sustained by i'm
partial men, outside the board, who are
skilled in the construction Of legislative
enactments. But the majority Of the COM
mittee ruled out hotel bills at Montpelier,
leaving most of the members the munifcent
sum of fifty cents day net for their ser.
vices while in actual session. Every one
measurably familiar with the transaction Of
business understands the reasonableness of
the custom under which men invariably
charge for time spent in going to and re-
turning from the scene of the performance
of their duties, but this correspondent is the
first to discover that time so used is worth
less, and that for its allowance "there can
be no warrant" 1t may be true, as this cor
respondent has figured it, that the board was
in actual session but about seventeen hours,
but the inference which he would have peo-
pie draw from this manner of statement is
as false as his whole attack is outrageous.
The board was hard at work during the re.
cess and during the hours Of adjournment,
or their time and attention so broken and
distracted as 10 be practically worthless for
their private affairs. The judgment of such
men as Pollard and Chaplin and Adams
upon these matters, in the minds of reason
able men, must outweigh whole regiment
of KS" and the fact that the vigilant
state auditor of accounts has approved their
work ratifes their conclusions and vindicates
their judgment, if it needed any vindica-
ton. The charge that the board exceeded
its powers is pungently and conclusively dis.
cussed in another column by "Fair Play, -
and the work of the board at its sessions
and during the recess shown up in strong
light by one who knows whereof he speaks.
On the whole, all this cutlery against the
board seems to be very much like Mr.. Horr's
famous tree toad" nothing but id
noise, "-and is hardly worth the time and
trouble of serious controversion.