St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-11-21
DOTNGS OF THE LEGISLATURE.
Hearings on the Local Option BilI.-Mr.
Bundy's Speech on the Weekly Pay
ment BiII.-Other Interesting News.
Editorial Correspondence. ]


Editorial Correspondence
Thanksgiving is coming and the solon'
are getting down to business, though
much is to be done in the next two
weeks. Much business was transacted
during the week though few bills were
passed.
THE LOCAL OPTION REFERENDUM BILL
The hearing on Tuesday night of last
week was held in Representative Hall
and it was crowded with spectators.
Senator Clement, chairman of the Sena te
committee and the great local option
champion, was absent. Chairman Fleet
wood of the House committee presided
and to everybody's surprise no one ap
peared to defend the bill. There were
only three speakers in it's favor, S. H.
Robb of Bellows Falls, Rev. George w.
Hunt, OF our town, and Rev. R. E. How
ard of Highgate.
Mr. Hunt referred to the act presented
to the legislature which requires only Is
days notice before election by the people
to compel the town to vote on the ques-
ton, with only thirteen days which the
temperance people would have to agitate
the question. The vote to have license
shall be in effect until annued, but the
vote against license shall stand for only
one year. He stated that he had lived in
license states and could say that he had
seen more drunkenness in 80 DAYS under
license than he had seen in the 10 months
he had lived in Vermont. He made a
severe indictment of the liquor traffic,
and said: "Let us remember that this
referendum clause is only a bait on the
hook held out to you" He gave an illus
tration of license in Brockten, Mass,
over twice as many arrests having been
made in a year with license as in the next
year with no license. He made decided
hit in closing when he said, "Gentlemen,
let me suggest that you change the title
of this bill and call it an act to make
rumselling respectable in Vermont by
veneering it with legal enactment"
The bill will pass the senate by small
and possibly tie vote, but the
friends of prohibition do not expect
that it will pass the House.
THE WEEKLY PAYMENT BILL.
Mr.. Bundy's bill passed the House on
Thursday and its passage is personal
triumph for our townsman. 1t was re-
ported adversely by the committee, but
Mr.. Bundy defended it and secured it's
passage by vote of 1853 to IS. During
the discussion of the bill he spoke three
times, making the following remarks in
opening the debate.
Mr.. Speaker:-In asking for a third
reading of the weekly payment bill |
wish to say a few words in its behalf,
This bill applies only to corporations.
1t has nothing to do with individual
employers, or firms not incorporated.
AS the state grants certain powers and
privileges to corporations, 50 the state
has power and the right to make rules
governing the conduct OF the corporation.
A weekly payment law is in force in
nearly every state i'll the Union and no
state that has once tried the law has
gone back to the old system, and no
political party dares advocate its repeal.
OF the New England states, New Hamp.
shire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and
Rhode Island are working under this
law. This bill in no way implies a con-
tict between labor and capital; their
interests are identical, each is dependent
on the other, but there are certain con-
cesslons that can begranted the employee
without injury to the employer and
among them is the weekly payment.
The many manufacturing corporations
OF Vermont that pay weekly from choice
show the belief of the employer that
weekly payments are not only the lust
due OF the employee, but that such pay
ment are an advantage to the employer,
easier the correction of mis- |
lakes in the pay roll, that are remem-
bered in a week, but forgotten in a
month, and also tending to promote a
greater feeling of harmony and COOP
grafton.
The man who works from Monday
morning to Saturday night at the end OF
the week has so much property in the
hands of his employer. 1t there is any
advantage in holding that property,
that advantage belongs to the man who
owns the wages, not to him who has
gwen them. The advantage OF having
ready money in the pocket is apparent to
everyone. Every man has seen the time
when, ii he had had the money, he could |
have made a trade greatly to his
advantage. This is the every day expert
ence of the worklngman. There are
mark-down sales, auctions, closing out
sales, and general reduction of prices for
cash only, and the man with the money
is enabled to greatly reduce his living
expenses. With the tremendous increase
OF price in the necessaries of life in the