The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-05
Into JULY.
Session of Legislature
May Extend.
WHAT is AHEAD.
Worcester County Members
Have Their Hands Full.
Especial Dispatch to phe snv.

Especial Dispatch to The Spy)
Boston, Feb. 4EThere is such a thing
as all signs failing, and it is liable to
happen at almost any time, but unless
something of the sort takes place this
year, the session of the legislature will
De che longest known for many year.
NOT only are there number of
youthful orators in the lower branch
who will wish to exploit themselves at
the expense of the time which should be
devoted to public business, but the
number of matters which have been
filed for the action of the general court
in advance of what has beer the case
in preceding years.
Inc committees will have hard time
in getting all the business referred to
them Strengthened out in shane to re-
port by the time allotted and it will not
be much of a surprise to the close
watchers of matters legislative if the
session is not prolonged far into July.
1t can be hoped of course that this
will not come to pass, but so many
hopes in relation to the legislature have
been blasted that most people cannot
be blamed for being pessimistic SO far
as length of legislative sessions is con-
cerned
In this connection it should be said
that some or the older and more expert
enced state house people are smiling
quietly at the expense of Representa-
five COrnU Of
week started out to pledge the members
10 use their best efforts to hurry up the
business of the session and adjourn by
May l.
Mr.. Corey circulated his pledge in the
House reading room couple of after
moons, and with the thoughtleSs aban-
don of youth and inexDerience some IS
or AZ of the new members affixed their
signature to the paper. Nothing has
been heard 'FRONT.' since. and the in
ference is that both Mr. Corey and the
slgners have seen a great light on the
subject.
This week Senator Lott of Suffolk in
troduced an innocent looking little bill
in the Senate, which, If passed. is bound
to work mischief in about every city in
the state. 1t is Senate bill 70. and con-
sists of just two sections making in all
only four printed lines. 1t provides that
chapter 419 of the year 1897 be repealed,
and that is all. 1t does not provide for
any measure to take the place of the re-
pealed act and its effect, so far as can
be ascertained, is to do away entirely
with the law allowing cities to assess
the cost of street watering upon the
AUDITORS. and in effect puts the matter
of street watering back to where it was
in the days of hit or miss street
sprinkling by private contractors, when
each abuttor had the street in front Of
his premises watered or not, as he saw
fit. Just what is back of the bill Mr.
Lott does not explain, but it is said
that it is due to the efforts of some non
resident taxpayers who object to being
taxed for street watering whether they
occupy the premises or not
The bill has been called to the at
tention of a number of the members
from the central and western portions
of the state, and they all see chances
for mischief in its provisions. Unless
Mr.. Lott makes a convincing explana-
ton of what the bill means and asserts
that there is no harm in it, the chances
of it's passage through the House are
extremely doubtful.
A matter of congratulation is the re-
porting of the bill restoring days of
grace on sight drafts, and there is
little doubt of its passage. The strong
arguments in favor of such restoration
at the hearing before the joint commit
tee on the judiciary a few days ago,
had a good effect on the committee, in
spite of the desire on the part of some
for an uniformity of days in this and
other states. 1t was pointed out, how
ever. that the number of states in
which no days of grace were allowed
was small, and that the commercial
interests of the state were hampered
and inconvenienced by the bill rushed
f1antx Las IN,.1fe
grace.
Next week the decks will be cleared
for action on the mass of new Iegisla-
ton put before the legislature, and the
process of digestion and assimilation
will begin in earnest. From now on
the committees will have their hands
full. and it will be a case of hard work
for many of them. Thus far the COM
mittee on cities has the call in the
number of matters referred to it, the
exact number being 102. This is likely
to hold that committee for a while.
Worcester men on the various com
mittees are fast getting settled down
to work. and the new men are by this
time used to the ways of the state
house and the legislature. Senator
Mcclellan, on the committee on agri-
culture, is learning Derforca all about
the gypsy moth and it's habits. although
it Is to be questioned whether he thor
oughly enjoys the educational process.
Representative Munroe finds himself
kept busy on the street railway COM
mittee, and Representative Hagberg
finds matters congenial on the commit
tee on military affairs. Senator Wash
burns committee, the judiciary. finds
enough to do to keep its members
busy, and Representative johnson is
jim the same boat, being on the House
judiciary. Mr.. Mellen, between acting
as the House democratic leader and
his membership on the ways and means
committee, as well as that on rules.
finds that the time does not hang heav-
lily on his hands.