Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-24
Board of Agriculture Allowed
to Survive by a Vote of
I2S to SO.
COY. SMITHS TAX SCHEME
tFrom Our Staff Correspondent

tFrom Our STAFF Correspondent
Montpelier Nov. 1.-THE Board of Ag-
riculture still lives but it experienced a
/ very narrow escape from humiliation by
the House of Representatives this after
noon. House bill No. S21 was made a spe-
cial order for ) O'Clock this afternoon and
aroused the hottest fight of the session.
This bill provides for the discontinuanCe
of the BOARD of Agriculture and came up
for order to n third reading. The confu-
sion and turmoil over wild animal meas
ures was quiet AFFAIR compared with
the effects of this measure on the mem
bcrs of the House. 1t baked one man on
conscientious scruplcs and left several
more in such n condition that they could
not tell which way they were voting.
Nearly everybody who can speak was
heard and several more who could not
were also heard. the occasion forming the
most extensive forensic display yet given.
Mr. Ballard, the member from Georgia,
made the supreme effort of his life in sup
port OF the bill and Speaker Haskins left
tho chair to speak against II. The bat
tie lasted ono hour and forty minutes and
developed some unusual features Mr.
Ballard called for the yeas and nays and
when MIR. Buttcriield of Derby was called
he rose and asked to be excused because
he could not conscientiously vote on the
him and he refused to vote. Mr.. Abel of
West Haven ordered the roll call to pro-
coed. When the name of Mr.. Wall of Ban
iolph was reached that gentleman, who
nad said during his discussion that he
would not vote, refused to answer. At
Inc end OF the roll call Mr. Nialrs namo
was called agIin and he asked to be eN-
,uScd. This the House refused to do and
he voted yes The name of Mr.. Butteriic,d
was then called and he rc-statcd that he
could not vote conscientiously and would
accept any penalty the House saw fit 10
inflict. Business was blocked here until
finally another motion was made to oX-
cuse him and several members attempted
to speak. The presiding officer moved the
motion was not dcbatablo and worked his
gaNvl vigorously in an attempt to Keep
the m, MIXERS somewhere near quiet ana
the House voted to excuse MIR. Butter
Held from voting and the result of tho vote
on the third reading of the bill was an
nounccd, yeas 50 and NAYS 12S
- many members voted the opposite 10
what they intended to that "a motion 10
reconsider to-day's vote is promised for
tomorrow.
The third reading being re-
fused, the House put itself
sdUarely in opposition to continuing
the session after Thanksgiving by refus-
ing to adopt resolution offered by Mr..
purkee Of Pittstield that when the House
adjourned Friday night IL be to serve
Without pay until Monday afternoon, Nov.
- A ,rfect roar of noes greeted this
proposition.
The House declared itself in favor of
rlillionaircs to-day with n roar when 1t
ordered to n third reading House bill No.
icl, which embodies the taxation scheme
outlined by Gov. Smith in his inaugural
message. The committee reported amend
ments TO the hill which makes the real
estate owned by those people who make
n tax contract with the State taxable the
same as any other real estate in that town
and also limiting the board of taxation / y
| allowing IL an Office In the State House
only. AS soon as these amendments were
adopted advocates Of the measure began
10 he heard, the leading speeches being
made by Mr.. Kemp of Montpelier and Mr..
| Pcet of Cornwall. The last named gem
| tleman has already established for him
self tho reputation of being one of the
most interesting speakers in the House
and his effort to-day has simply strength
cned his reputation. Mr.. Kemp believed
this very important matter because IL
involved State policy and he believed II
would be a wiser policy TO attract out
side capital TO this State than to drive
that within the State ont as has been done
| by many Of the laws that have previously
lhcen made. Mr.. Poet said he had made
Inquiry among the farmers in his section
land they We're in favor of attracting mora
capital to this State. There is money
enough 10 be spent in this State il we can
only do something that will attract the
posscssors of il Within our borders. Mr..
Bond Of Scarshurg gave an instance of n
man who lived in his town who was get
ting his money in the lumber business
and sending every dollar of II that he
could outside the town to escape taxa
ton. A few years ago n rich man from
| nv inn
lproVing a piece of property purchased 10y
him had increased the value of that prop
crty more than eight fold. These rich peo-
PIE also bring TO a town the best of So
ciety. Searsburg wants all the million
aires IL can get The other gentlemen who
favored the hill We're Messrs. Wall of Ran
dolph, Eastman OF Hartland, Hale of Lun-
Icnburgh, johnson of Lyndon and Carpen-
ter Of Rutland, Ii is thought the measure
Will meet with some opposition in the
Senate hut that body has not as yet CIV
On the subject much thought
| Two important committee meetings
were held tonight. The general commit
tee Of the House gave a hearing on tho
lbill to prevent Sunday excursions, when
the following delegation from Burlington
appeared in behalf of that bill. 4. c.
Whiting, Rev. =. NJ. Snyder, Rev w. S
Roberts, w. J, Van Patten. w. L. Bur
nap, Rev, c. l.. Hall. Il. i. Shaw, o. j.
Ray, Prof, G, II, Perkins, II, l.. Brown,
Ii, q, Wheeler.
| The Senate committee on railroads gave
n hearing on the mileage bill, Superin-
itendcnt Folsom of the st Johnsbury and
Lake Champlain road and President Glenn
lcnt Of the Rutland road appeared in OPP
position TO the till. Friends of the bill
are still confident that they have a ma
'jorty of the Senate with them and ex-
poets To win
| Another revenue measure which has
originated in the ways and means commit
tee will be brought before the House to-
morrow, 1t is n bill providing for a taN
on bodies seeking Incorporation by act OF
the Legislature. This is n source of con.
siderable expense to the State in tho
amount of time consumed In considering
the measures, and expenses in paper ant
printing bills. small tax for securing
n license to do business will have hut
little effect on bodies seeking the right tC
incorporate and would yield quite n rev.
enue to the State, II will probably he IA
vorably received by the Legislature,
| When the House commenced business
this morning there was little TO indicate
an especially interesting session but in
terest kept increasing and several import
ant measures were acted upon before
noon, Although not bills which have at
tracted much attention, several acts relat'
ing TO educational matters were passed by
the House, Among these was a change In
the school year, n bill allowing school di
lrectors TO furnish high schools with nee
essary appliances for teaching the higher
branches in those schools and by the scru'
tiny of DIR, Dunton OF Poultney the State
was saved from paying double the appro