Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-16
WORK DRAGS.
Legislators Are Tardy About
Getting Down to Business.
MaIden's Perpetual Prohibition BilI-Prc-
posed Plan for Building Cape Cod
Canal-hembefs and Mileage.

fsnao;o1 c,,,,,.,
90 e9 l'o'iuelioe VI lhe spy
Boston, jan l5-The legislature has
concluded it's first full week of the SEES
sion and bas done notbi,,o. - 10 ,,,.,,,a
~ - o0H
u 40 vet oh the o1her mana there mas
been considerable loafing, and unless
there is a change for tba battar ar onoa
tbera MI, - ,a..t,o.. o,.-.t
VIZ no question apout the
length OF the session.
Several of the suggestions of the nre-
siding officers bova baa,, oor,.iad Ia
- - ~ ou''
puI unleSS advantage is taken or the
change in the rules and the hours of
meeting, there will he IittIa oainad For
,nr+o.,ao -. ,,.
tie tWo pIdhcNes nave Deeh
convened daily at O'Clock in the after
noon Tor the purpose of allowing after
noon meetings of committees. Neither
branch has been in session full hour
as yet. but there are still several COM
mlttees to be organized, and Monday is
the date for their organization. There
seems to be no good reason for failure
to organize all the committees during
the past week, for there has been plenty
of time for such work and nothing else
TO do
The house committee on ways and
means and the committee on rules are
the only committees that have tasted
work. The house ways and means has
sent in so or more appropriation bills
for the consideration of the house. and
many of these were engrossed at Fri
days session. All of these measures
provide for appropriations that are an
nually made at this time of the year,
and while there is very much work in
the consideration of measures that are
already provided for in the annual es-
II &C
partmentS, more or less care must be
exercised in the drafting of the bills. 1t
doesn't do to make any mistake with APP
preparation bills The committee on
rules has been busy with the amend
ments adopted early in the week which
are supposed to facilitate the business of
the session and lead to an earlier adj
Journment. The house made no objection
of any account to the adoption of the
changes proposed by the committee, but
has been slow to act with the revised
rules. Monday of the coming week
should see the Organization of all COM
mittees completed, and some positive
movement toward the solid work of the
session. 1T Is time for the members of
the great and general court to wake up
and get to work
The first assignment for a committee
hearing has been made by the commit
tee on liquor law. The petition from
certain citizens of the city of Maiden,
for perpetual prohibition within the
city limits by means of an amendment
to the city charter, will be heard by this
committee. on the 18th of this month.
The reference of this petition to the liq
uor law committee was not accom-
plished without struggle. In fact, the
first fight of the session centered
around this matter. Mr.. Boutwell, of
Maiden attempted to aid the advocates
of the proposed legislation by having
the petition referred to the committee
on cities. The petition was taken
from last years files, on motion of Mr..
Boutwell, and while the older members
of the liquor law committee were alb
sent from the chamber, the petition
was referred to the committee on
cities.
This was an improper reference but
as the house had ordered it, there was
no alternative. The advocates of the
proposed bill wanted to dodge the COM
mittee on liquor law, and got Mr.. Bout
well to manage the affair." His effort
was successful, but only for a day. On
the following day, Mr. Estes of Brock
ton moved a reconsideratio of the
vote whereby the house had referred the
petition to the committee on cities, and
urged its reference to the committee
on LIQUOR law There was opposition to
this, but it was unavailing Mr.. Estes
had the right of the question, and the
house was quick to recognize this fact.
% the vote of the preceding day was
reconsidered, and then the house re-
fused to refer it to the committee on
cities, and sent the petition to the com
mittee on liquor law. where il he
loneed.
There is little hone for the report of
the bill from the LIQUOR law committee
The Iesislation nronnsad is 400 ,.oi1iooi
and sweeping for even The most ardent
advocates of nrohibition If the hin
is passed. it will allow Maiden and
hereafter anv other citv that is strong
enough. ia Include nrohihition IN itS
city charter and inns lake the ouestion
of local option awav from the voters
IT has been a Inns fine since tba frie,,ds
of prohihition wera stro,ey ano,,ol, in
the legisla tl,re ~ ca,rt s,,1, ,,,ea,,,a
as the one nronosed for Ms1da ~
This snopesfion b,5 tbo t+aI,a,.,,o,. os
the consfrS3etion as ae,,as 10 ~ ~ -
Cod nv can,ict 10 oS ''' is 49,, Pc
seriousi, an,s,i5onn5 ~, 80 soIns "
there IS strong nrobs Mir of ths aatu