Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-10-30
THE SIX LIQUOR BILLS.

The six bills relating to the regnla
ton of the liquor traffic that are nov
before the Vermont legislature deserve
and are receiving widespread atten
ton. These bills represent different
phases of public sentiment on this
question. 1t is improbable that any
more comprehensive measures will be
presented by individual members al
this session, so that in these six bills
we have the entire case before us foI
study. They are now in the commit,
tees hands and after due hearing and
consideration that body will act, either
in approval OF one or more measures,
or in the way OF framing one or more
bills themselves, which shall embody
the most commendable features of the
several bills.
1t is worth while to note the points
of similarity and of difference in the
several measures. To enumerate the
bills, we have
/. The Ross bill; a modified pro-
hibitory act.
2. The Battell bill state control OF
liquor traffic, with selling done at state
stores in towns and cities that so vote.
8. The Clement bill; high license
local option, with referendum.
4. The Russell bill; high license
local option, with referendum.
5. The Fletcher bill; high license
local option, with referendum.
6. The Democratic bill; high Ii
cense-local option, without referen-
DUN.
The Ross bill strips prohibition of
those unusual features that have been
added from time to time to insure its
entorcement-features that are peculiar
to the liquor law alone of all the differ
ent statutes relating to crime We re-
fer to the injunction and contempt
proceedings, the disclosure provision,
concurrent jurisdiction of justices of
the peace, etc, that have been invoked
as "tightenersn to corner the liquor
seller and force him out of the bust
ness. But while the Ross measure
does away with these it leaves the law
purely prohlbitory as to selling liquors
to be used as beverage, combining the
traffic strictly to necessary purposes,
the same as at present, 1t reorganizes
the agency system, however, placing
it directly within the control of special
state officials, who are to buy and dis
tribute the liquors and are to insure
their purity by test.
The Battell bill resembles the Ross
plan to the extent that the state has di-
rect control OF the liquor business,
through officers and servants who re-
ceiye salaries and are not dependent
on their sales for compensation; also
the same system of state testing is en-
! ployed, guaranteeing the purity OF
liquors. But the Battell bill is not
prohibitory act, like Ross 1t permits
the sale of liquors, under certain con-
ditions and restrictions, for other than
necessary purposes. Not only NAV
sealed packages OF hard spirits be sold
to be taken away from the state store.
but malt liquors may be dispensed by
the glass on the premises. 1t is for
every town or city to say however.
whether il will permit the establishment
of state liquor store within 1t. and il
may restrict the selling to necessary pur-
poses, or to vending malt liquors. In
addition to the selling provided for at
the state store, registered druggists.
on payment Of a S25 license fee, and
when backed by petition containing
the names OF one-fourth the legal vot-
ers of the town, may obtain liquors at
the state store for the purpose OF filling
orders given by physicians only. A
like privilege, with same fee, is given
to proprietors of hotels and restaurants
for serving malt liquors only to their
guests at the table. The machinery Of
the Battell act consists Of a state liquor
commission, state superintendent
county liquor commission, county cleo.
tors and the storekeepers and their as.
sistants. A special point of difference
between the Ross and Battell bills is
that the former provides liquor at cost.
while the latter sells at a profit. and
the profit goes to the state, to be divid-
ed back among towns according to
population.