Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-11-23
THE LEGESLATURE
THE END is APPROACHING.
The saving Hnnk TnS---Thc Cigarette
RiIi---The Educntiou Rilt, etc.

The saving Hnnk TnS---Tbc Cigarette
Biii---Thc Educntios BiII, etc.
MONTPELIER. Nov. 81. 1888.
Five more working days and then cometh
the end Of the session, for the committee
on final adjournment have named the hour
as & o'clock A. NJ Of Wednesday next, and
their report will doubtless he adopted
Nearly one. half Of the total number Of
bills introduced have not vet been finally
acted upon, and these include several Of
the most important measures. Some of the
members serving their first term are shak.
ing their heads gravely and talking about
coming back after Thanksgiving as it
seems impossible to do the business before
but those who have been among the actors
in the closing scenes of former sessions
have seen the seemingly impossible accom-
plished, and know that it can be again,
though perhaps not intelligently and wise
ly. 1t is understood that one of the mem
bers of the House will introduce joint reso-
luton, as a pointer for the legislature Of
1890 stating that it is the sense of the leg
islature of 1888 that the time Of holding
September to November and that the legis-
lative session should begin in January
There seems to be growing sentiment
here in favor of such change The great
strain and expense involved in making
Vermont a political weathervane in presi-
dental years would largely be avoided but
this, though most often mentioned is not
the greatest argument for this change. a
winter session of the legislature would be
far preferable to fall session in many ways
The fall is the busy season Of the year with
most of the members, and they don't like
to be away from their business more than
possible. A majority of them go home ev-
cry week, or nearly so, usually dating their
departure Friday morning and returning
Monday night or Tuesday In consequence,
during the first weeks of the session there
is no quorum present except during three
or three and one-half days in a week, and
but little work is accomplished till the last
/ two weeks of the session, when too much
work comes in as the other extreme
| Thanksgiving has SO long been considered
the barrier over which it will not do to
pass, that even though another week time
is almost indispensable, it is not often tax
en-. With a winter session, when business
at home is less driving. much better attend
ance could be expected here, and with no
time limit, except the completion in proper
manner of the work of the session, better
results would certainly he obtained The
H., /.
not by legislative act, as suggested by
some of the newspapers, but by a constitu-
tional amendment, proposed 10y the legisla
ture Of 1890, ratified by the Legislature OF
lS92, and then approved by the people at
the polls So during one more presidential
campaign at least, Vermont will have t.
set the tide.
The bill introduced by Mr. Phelps Of
Westminster, providing for the distribution
Of the savings hank tax among the town,
IN proportion to the amount Of tax derived
from the deposits from each was one in
which Windham county has a special inter.
est At the last division of the tax in thi,
way, in 1889, some $40 600 was distributed
to the towns, which, if left in the treasury
would have been equivalent TO IA tax Of ..
per cent on the total grand list Of the state
Of this sum Windham county received
about Sll 900, which was equivalent TO d
tax of eight cents and four mills Chitten
den county came next with an amount
equivalent to a tax of four cents and sever
mills. Franklin county received back al
amount equivalent to a three mill tax, Of
one-twenty eighth part as much as Wind
ham county. Windham and Franklin coun
ties were the two extremes In one tn,
personal property consists largely of money
in the savings banks, and the tax goes di
rectly into the state treasury under tn,
workings of the corporation tax law. Ii
the other, the great dairy county of tn,
state. the personal property consists largely
of cows and other stock which goes into tn,
grand list and is subject to local taxation
The difference between the towns is NOR,
marked than this between the counties
One Windham county town received bach
an amount equal to a tax of fifteen cent,
and eight mills, while one Franklin count,
town received an amount equal to a tax o.
about two-tenths of a mill In other words
to secure a tax equal to >! per cent stat,
tax by the corporation law, Newfane woulC
contribute about fifteen cents and eigh
mills on the dollar of her grand list, Will,
Enosburg would contribute about $50 par
as much. Brattleboro, 10 secure the :. pei
cent state tax, contributed about 10 pei
cent of her grand list. The committee OF
ways and means, to whom the bill was re
ferred, reported adversely to its passage
chiefly on the ground that its passage would
knock out a strong prop from under tn,
corporation tax law. New Hampshire dis
tributes the savings bank tax in the sam,
manner as was provided in Mr. Phelps
bill