Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-09
THE COMMITTEES.
With Their Appointment the
Legislature Will Begin Work.
Worcester Men Booked for Some Excel
lent Places-Efforts To Be Made to
Complete Work Early.
Special Correspondence of the spy

tne general court, the machinery for the
state legislation of 1898 will be complete.
The president of the senate and the
speaker Of the house devoted some
space in the opening speeches, to the de-
STABILITY of ending the session in good
season, and several suggestions We're
offered, which are hoped to lead to this
result, If acted upon. The suggestions
by Speaker Bates, relative to a more
equal division of the work among the
different committees, is a good one and
will doubtless be acted upon. Last year,
the numberless assignments to the COM
mlttee on metropolitan affairs, kept this
committee at work long after the others
had finished their labors, and probably
did more than anything else to prolong
the session. Last year, it must be re-
membered, the same effort was made for
an early adjournment that is obtaining
this year, but the session lasted a day
longer than the session of the legisla
ture of 1896. 1t was June II, 1897, when
the secretary of state prorogued the
great and general court, while in 1896 it
was June 10.
The conditions this year are slightly
different from those of 1897. Last year
there We're few matters Of Importance
at the beginning of the session, although
it was known that the Elevated bill was
coming up, and quite a fight was an
ticipated on the bill for the separation
of the departments for the care of the
state charges But these matters did not
appear in sight until almost the last of
the session. Hence there was delay,
when it might have been avoided by an
earlier report by the committees having
these matters in charge. This year the
more important matters are coming up
for early consideration, if Speaker Bates
and President Smith have their way
The report of the taxation commits
sion is at the disposal of the members of
both branches This is one of the most
important matters of legislation before
the legislature this year, and its early
consideration means much toward short
ening the session This early considera-
ton of important matters was dwelt
upon with force by the governor in his
inaugural address. His excellency COM
planned of the practice of leaving until
the very last, the matters of moment,
and sending them to him a few hours
before the legislature was expected to be
prorogued.
Of course there is the usual interest
in the committee appointments by the
presiding officers of the two branches,
which will be announced Monday.
Speaker Bates has been bounded by
members-elect and the friends OF the
same every day since the election. 1t is
no easy task to make up certain COM
mittees with nine places for house mem
bers, when there are from two to three
dozen applicants. Street railways, rail-
roads, ways and means and metropoll-
tan affairs are generally the choice COM
mittees, but this year there has been
quite drive for places on the commits
tee on agriculture, and the committee
on roads and bridges. The board OF ag-
riculture has taken quite prominent
part. it is said, in urging certain menu
bers for the committee on agriculture,
and has used whatever influence It
could to save the committee from ap-
-pointments that are supposed to be
against appropriations for the gypsy
moth. or for cutting down the approprl-
alton for the determination of tubercu-
losis. But the influence of this commit
tee with Speaker Bates is a doubtful
quantity, as the influence of any inter-
est with such a man as Speaker Bates
m1,st he If any speaker Of the Massa-
chusetts house has arranged his COM
mittees without the assistance of unde-
sirafble influence, it has been the man
from Boston, whose one year Oh service
as speaker of the Massachusetts mouse
has stamped him as a man OF unusual
ability and capacity
The senate and house delegations from
Worcester are booked for some good
committee places. Senator Roe of Wor-
cester had four committees TO LOOK our
far last wear. They We're cities, educa-
ton, of which he was the chairman;
public service and state house. He IS
likely to get the same appointments this
wear unless he retires from public serv-
ice Of his own accord. The senior sena-
for from Worcester is rather tired Of
hearing petitions from public servants,
who are impressed with the value or
their services to the extent that they
believe and work for an increase of
what are usually very generous salaries
Senator Crane of Worcester will prob
ably be chairman of the committee on
taxation, one of the most important
committees in the Legislature this year,
because of the report of the special COM
mission on taxation, which comes be-
fore this committee for consideration.
Senator Crane was chairman of the COM
nlittee last year, and there is no rule or
reason for his failing of the appoint
ment again this year, unless he has sig
nified desire to retire from this COM
mittee. Mr.. Crane also served on the
committees on election laws, roads and
bridges last year. He may give up one
of these committees this session, and
take a less important one because of the
amount of work incident to the taxation
committee.
Senator Barber of Athol will be the
chairman of the committee on agricul-
ture again this year. He was chairman
of the committee last year and had a
deep interest in of all the matters re-
lating to the farmer and the agricultur-
list. Senator Putnam of Lowell is said
l. IL fr.,. fAff 1ao or llls a1nf aas
on this committee much to the dfsmay
of the board of agriculture. Senator
Putnam has been identified with the
oleo men for several years, but outside
of this diversion of his, he is known as
one of the strongest friends of the farm
err in the state, and last year made a
warm fight for amendments to the law
regarding the use of tuberculin. He is
satisfactory TO the mass of the farmers
regardless of his tendency toward the
cleo men, 1t is hardly probable that he
will be heard from in this line any way,
and if he should be, it is easier to ham
die oleo man on a committee than on
the floor of the house.
Senator Cook, of Milford, who begins
his third year of service in the house,
was a busy man last year, with four
committees to look after. He was chair
man of prisons and liquor law, and also
served on parishes and religious socie-
ties and engrossed bills He will proba-
bly, be chairman of the prisons commit
tee again, and perhaps of the liquor law
committee. AS chairman of the prisons
committee he will have charge of the
governors suggestion for the employ
ment of prison labor in the construction
of a canal across Cape Cod, should this
suggestion take any definite form.
Senator F'airbank of Warren is the
only new man in the senate from Wor-
cester county, but he is neither a new
nor an untried man in the legislature.
He goes to the senate fresh from an ex-
perience of two years in the house,