Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-11-06
THE LEGISLATURE.
Our Montpelier Letter.
In the Midst of the Serious Work
of the Session.

Shall the Board OF Supervisors OF the
Insane be AbOlishedi---A New Normal
schools Scheme---AnOther Twist Proc
posed for the PrOhibItOry Lav---The
Permanent Militia mp-Ground---
Thursdays Flood of Bills.
MONTPELIER, Nov. ), 1896.
When the town system of schools was
adopted four years ago it was provided
that school districts should continue their
existence for the purpose of settling their
pecuniary affairs. 1t now appears that a
good many of the small districts have not
yet settled their debts, and through the re-
moval or death of the clerk and pruden-
tial committee have lost their organization
so that there is no way of enforcing col
lection under present law. To remedy
this condition the senate has passed bills
providing that the statute of limitations
shall not apply to such cases, and that the
clerk of the town in which the district, or
any part thereof, is situated may warn a
meeting as a resident clerk might do; also
that service of writs upon such districts
may be made by leaving copy with such
town clerks.
Care of the Insane.
Senator Allen of Burlington introduced
posed to embody eX-Gov. Woodbury's
views in insane asylum matters. 1t pro-
vides that the board of supervisors of the
insane shall be abolished and that the du-
ties now devolving upon them shall be as
sumed by the state trustees of the Vermont
asylum, board who have no jurisdiction,
of course, except over the inmates of the
Waterbury institution. 1t further provides
that the state patients now at the Brat
tleboro Retreat, some 45 in number, shall
be removed to Waterbury as soon as there
is room for them there, but authorizes the
state trustees to remove patients to the
Brattleboro Retreat whenever the accom-
modations at Waterbury are inadequate.
Probate judges, who are now by law
authorized to order commitments of insane
paupers to either Waterbury or Brattle-
boro, are no longer to order commit
ments to the latter place unless notified
that the state institution is full. In the
light of recent developments at Waterbury
it is not thought here that the move to
abolish the board of supervisors of the in
sane will have any considerable support.
1t is said that nearly every state in the
Union has board with similar rights and
duties, and it is certainly not in accord
with the principles that Vermont has al
ways stood for to deny that class of her
people who are irresponsible and helpless
the safeguard of having the doors that
hold them opened by some one who has
the right to investigate the justice of their
confinement. AS a matter of financial
policy it would seem most an unwise step
to abolish the board of supervisors. The
state is paying nearly $4,000 per year In
support of its insane poor. Under the
present system of commitments, with the
town authorities anxious to saddle on to
the state all possible cases, it is posi-
BILE that occasionally a person gets a
certificate of insanity who is not vic
lently insane, to say the least, and whom
the state ought not to support, would no
an efficient state board, which had tn,
right to investigate these cases and dis
charge such inmates of the asylum as ough
not to be the charges of the state be highl!
desirable? This is the view that it now
seems probable that the legislature will
take in the matter.
Several bills have been introduced look
ing to the better protection of dealers il
building materials who furnish contractor
with supplies. 1t seems that under pres
ent law dealer, or laborer, can place
lien on any building for material or labo
furnished the owner directly, but that h
has no recourse ON the building or tn
owner if the material is furnished through
the medium of a contractor. 1t Is pro
posed that the owner shall be held respon
sible for these claims If notified in writ
ing, by the dealer or laborer, that he wi
be so held.
The senate took up as a special order
this afternoon, the bill providing that fo
furnishing selling or giving away cider Q
intoxicating liquor the minimum penalt
shall be fine of 500 and Imprisonment
for six months. The promoters of the bi
argued that present laws had their loop
holes through which the guilty parties, b
the aid of ingenious counsel, are quit
likely to escape, and that to be made effeC
tive more radical measures should be tai
en-. 1t was claimed that imprisonment a
well as fine was one of the penalties fc
the violation of the United States govern
ment liquor laws and that this featuI
proved very effective in their enforcement
The majority of the senate, while admi
ting that the proposed law would clean OF
the liquor traffic as with fine tooth com
If it could be enforced, did not see no
that moral sentiment which would not bac
up the present law could be made effectiV
in sustaining a measure so much mol
stringent. The vote on the passage of th
bill stood ayes, IL; nays, Is. The b
granting municipal suffrage to women wi
are tax payers also came up as a speci
order and after quite extended discussion
which was all in favor of the bill, 1t WI
ordered to a third reading with only oil
opposing vote.
The Permanent Camp Ground Question
The bill providing for the sale of IL
permanent militia camp ground, intr
duced last week by Col. Haskins, is NEE
ing with quite strong opposition from e
Gov. Woodbury. and others, mostly re:
dents of Burlington and vicinity. A pu
lie hearing was held this afternoon in Il
senate chamber to consider the bill. Ge
Estey and Col. Bond were present al
strongly advocated the bill. Gen. Este
although one of the officers approving Il
selection of the grounds originally, nc
believed that a mistake was made Will
should be corrected before further expen
was incurred in the matter. While
lieving in the desirability of a permane
camp ground he felt that a location II
ther removed from a large town was des
able in the matters of maintaining dis
pline and conserving the best moral inf
ences. He said that the present grou
was sandy and could not be put in go
shape without a considerable expenditur
that there was no water on the ground
easily accessible, and that 1t was cons
cradle distance from railroad siding, tn
necessitating large expense for truck